Fourteen - The Race Begins
As far as any member of the Apple Family was concerned, there was no better way to start the day than with an apple fritter and a tall glass of cider. But today, the juice was replaced with a mug of steaming coffee, free of any cream and sugar. Applejack yawned widely, her mane in complete disarray over her half-lidded eyes. Her notched Stetson lay haphazardly atop her head, tilted to one side. All that was on the mare’s mind was sleep; a virtue lost before the long day of work ahead of her. She ate and drank slowly, scowling at every sip of black, unsweetened coffee.
“Coffee cold yet?” asked a large, red stallion across the table. Applejack looked up wearily, her eyes seeing two of everything in front of her. The mare shook her head violently, trying to focus on her brother. He wore a crooked, relaxed smile, his lips around a long reed. In front of him was an empty drinking glass and a single fritter.
Applejack rubbed her tired eyes, doing everything she could to keep her head off the table. “Oh, right. Guess it’s too late now.”
“Where were ya’ last night, anyhow?” asked Big Macintosh, his deep voice cheery.
“Hangin’ ‘round with Twilight and Rainbow Dash,” Applejack replied wearily. “Guess we lost track o’ time.”
“Forgot ‘bout work today?” her brother asked, his tone carrying a sense of friendly scolding.
“Yeah, yeah, Ah know. It ain’t gonna affect my work, don’t ya’ worry,” the orange mare replied, waving a dismissive hoof as she stood up from the table, readjusting her hat. “Alright, let’s get on out there before Granny comes down here.”
“Aren’t ya’ fergettin’ ‘bout somethin’?” Big Macintosh asked, nodding toward the hallway behind him. Applejack stared at the open threshold for a long moment before his meaning hit her. The mare groaned, rubbing her brow with a hoof. “Ya’ gonna go wake her up fer work?”
“Yeah, Ah guess Ah’ll go do that.”
“There a reason she ain’t sleepin’ at home?” the red stallion asked, taking a sip of his cider.
“Poor thing has been pickin’ up the slack of two other ponies lately,” Applejack explained, pausing to utter a loud yawn. “She pretty much passed out in the doughnut shop last night. She wouldn’t wake up, so I brought her here. Go on and get out there, Ah’ll meet up with ya’.”
Her brother smirked, rolling his eyes before standing to his hooves and walking out the front door. “Eeyup.”
Applejack watched him go, feeling her head grow exceedingly light as the early morning sunshine hit her face from the opening door. Her body leaned forward on its own accord, nearly falling over before the mare regained her balance with a forehoof. She shook her head once more, turning around and heading in the direction of the hallway. Come on, Applejack. It’s cider season, and ponies from all over will be comin’ ‘round tomorrow. Get yer eyes open already, she berated herself, pounding her temple a few times as she continued down the hall. Applejack wobbled her way to the guest room door, knocking a few times before opening it and walking in.
The guest room was far from lavish, but it did hold the necessities for a pony to stay the night. There was a single window, shining a wide ray of sunlight upon a twin-sized bed. The sheets and blankets were in a pile at the end of the mattress, doing nothing to cover the slumbering mare. Rainbow Dash lay on her side facing the window, her long multi-hued bangs veiling the majority of her face. Her limbs were curled close to her body, her muzzle tucked between her forelegs. The pegasus snored loudly, the corner of her mouth stretching open with every audible breath. Applejack stopped dead, standing awkwardly in the doorway.
If the pegasus had been working her usual schedule, Applejack wouldn’t have hesitated to flip the mattress over to get her out of bed. But after seeing her so fatigued the night before, the farmer had to consider whether or not to wake her. Rainbow deserved to sleep after being forced to take on two other shifts in the clouds, but Applejack knew that her friend would only be angry if she let her sleep in. However, the orange mare couldn’t help but feel an extraordinary amount of guilt for what she had to do. The farmer sighed as she strode over to sit down atop the unoccupied portion of the bed. Instead of rousing the pegasus with her usual haste, Applejack prodded Rainbow’s upturned side, but to no avail. Dash merely grunted, twitching her tail in response to the attempt. The earth pony rolled her eyes, not willing to do this for the next hour.
Applejack reached a hoof toward Rainbow’s shoulder, shaking it relentlessly until the pegasus shot to her haunches in a fright. She threw her head in all directions, her magenta eyes wide. “Whoa! Hey, where am… Applejack?”
“Heh, sorry RD,” the earth pony said, straightening her hat. “Yer at my house. Ya’ done passed out last night at the doughnut shop and wouldn’t wake back up. Ah figured Ah’d carry ya’ here so you could sleep.”
Rainbow’s jaw dropped. “What?! What time is it? Did I oversleep?!”
“Hold yer horses there, Sugarcube,” Applejack replied, holding her forehooves up in a calming manner. “It’s still early. Y’ain’t gotta punch in ‘til eight o’ clock, right? It’s only seven!”
The cyan mare slumped forward, letting out a long sigh of relief. Her flared wings drooped low to her sides, her ears following suit. “Oh… Good…”
Applejack smiled, thankful that her friend didn’t berate her for waking her up too early. “Ya’ still look like a raccoon with those eyes o’ yers. Are ya’ sure ya’ don’t wanna take the day off or somethin’?”
“Believe me, I wish I could,” Rainbow groaned, stretching with a long yawn. “I used the rest of my sick days for the year before I got this extra work.”
“Don’t they know they’re overworkin’ ya’?”
“Hey, are you saying that I can’t handle it?” the pegasus retorted, cocking an eyebrow with a flick of her prismatic tail. Applejack rolled her eyes, wishing that her friend wasn’t as stubborn as she was.
“Ya’ know Ah ain’t sayin’ none o’ that,” the farmer frowned. “But this ain’t healthy! Is the extra pay really worth it if yer just gonna spend it all on a hospital bill?”
Rainbow Dash stood up on the mattress, taking a moment to stretch her hindlegs and wings. Her limbs cracked audibly, instilling a few satisfied groans from the pegasus. “Sheesh. Could your guest bed be any more uncomfortable? My wings are killing me.”
“Rainbow!” Applejack scolded, striving to keep her heavy eyes open. “Stop dodgin’ this and listen to reason here!”
“Ugh, fine! Geeze, AJ, what’s with the concern all of a sudden? Last time I checked, my mom was a pegasus!” Rainbow exclaimed, rolling her eyes again with an irritated flap of her wings. Applejack watched her walk out of the room, a satisfied smile on the earth pony’s face. Somehow, the farmer knew that her brash friend would respond with an attitude. However, Applejack knew that the pegasus was only hiding her appreciation. With an enormous amount of effort, the orange mare tore her gaze away from the temptations of the bed she sat upon and leaped to the floor instead.
After Rainbow Dash helped herself to a fritter and a mug of coffee, she and Applejack went outside and walked into the apple orchard. In the distance to the left, the orange mare spotted her older brother effortlessly bucking a hail of apples from a tree with a single hindhoof. She caught his eye, nodding her head toward the pegasus. Thankfully, Big Macintosh bowed his head in acknowledgement before returning to his work.
“He uh… he looks like he could use some help,” Rainbow commented.
“Don’t worry, Ah’ll get to it. First Ah gotta make sure ya’ don’t fly off to work,” said Applejack, stopping once they reached the middle of the East fields. The pegasus’ head dropped low as she uttered a long groan.
“Look, I’m not gonna lie, but I’m heading for a cloud to wash off and then to work. See ya’ later,” Rainbow said flatly, stretching her wings to take off. But as her hooves left the ground, Applejack stamped a forehoof on the end of the pegasus’ long tail. Rainbow yelped and hit the ground with a heavy thud, growling audibly as she pushed her torso up from the ground with her forelegs. She whipped her head around, staring daggers at the farmer through her long mane. “Hey! What is your problem, Applejack? Why can’t you just let me go and do my job?!”
“In any other situation, Ah’d be a mite proud o’ ya’ fer all this sudden work ethic and whatnot, but yer health is more important than some job! Since when d’ya care so much ‘bout work, anyhow?”
“I’m fine, alright! How many times do I have to-”
Something to Applejack’s right flashed with an incredible amount of light, briefly casting the two mares’ shadows far across the field. Applejack reflexively screwed her right eye shut in fright, flinching violently. The two of them threw their heads in the direction of the anomaly, their eyes bulging and their lips parted in shock. They stared at where they assumed the source of the flash to be, but found nothing but a vast expanse of grass and apple trees. Rainbow Dash pushed herself from the ground with a flap of her wings. She hovered next to her friend, whipping her head in all directions to search for what caused the strange light.
“Uh… Ya’ saw that too, right?” Applejack said under her breath, unaware of why she was whispering.
But before the cyan mare could respond, a flicker of pale blue electricity zapped a hoof or two above the grass from the right, sending a wave of dread through the orange mare. In her fatigued state, Applejack feared the worst, but nothing would have prepared her for what happened next.
A spherical flash of blue light erupted where the anomalies had occurred, accompanied by the high-pitched sound of magic. An invisible shockwave of energy roared through the air, ruffling the grass and blowing back Rainbow’s and Applejack’s manes. Immediately following the blast, three figures flew from the middle of the spell, hurtling in all directions. The figures were screaming in fright, forcing Applejack to realize that they were ponies. One tumbled away from them, rolling across the grass with painful grunts. The other two flew toward the same tree. One disappeared in the leaves and branches above, while the other slammed into the tree’s rather thick trunk with a loud, sickening crack. The pony’s spine bent backwards around the robust bark, and he let out a sharp gasp of agony.
The stallion hit the ground, arching his back upward with his elbows supporting his torso. “GAH! Why is it always the back?! Fer the love o’ Celestia, Azure! What did ya’ do?!”
Rainbow looked to her friend, her head tilted to one side with a raised eyebrow. “Am I still asleep right now?”
The sound of heavy, galloping hooves shook the ground behind the orange mare, signaling her brother’s arrival. Applejack and Rainbow Dash merely stood there in disbelief as they identified the earth stallion. Over to the right, a unicorn with a coat similar to Rainbow’s lifted his face from the ground, his eyes clamped shut. He had a mane of vibrant teal; short and messy like his tail. “You gave me a map of a place I’ve never been before and asked if I could teleport us halfway across the darned country! I told you it was risky!”
“Will you two stop your whining and get me down from here!” said a third voice, this one female and oddly familiar. A dark sandstone-colored hoof poked out from between two branches, waving helplessly.
Big Macintosh raised his eyebrows as he appeared at Rainbow’s other side. “Cousin?”
Applejack took a step forward, her expression that of pure confusion. “B-Braeburn? What in the hay… who’s that over… Where’d ya’ll just come from?!”
Braeburn whipped his head around, blinking a few times as he took his cousin in. “Oh, uh… Howdy there, Applejack! And Big Mac too, look at that. Guess we made it to Sweet Apple Acres alright.”
The riflepony attempted to roll to his hooves, only to grunt in pain before falling back to his side. The orange mare galloped over, Big Macintosh close behind. The two of them assisted the stallion into a standing position. “Ack, thank ya’ kindly,” he grimaced, cracking his spine in several places. He turned his head in the direction of the blue unicorn, calling over to him with a hoof next to his mouth: “Hey Azure! Y’alright?”
“Oh, just peachy!” the pony called Azure yelled back sarcastically as he slowly rose to his shaking hooves. “Let’s do it again sometime.”
“Oof, he ain’t too happy,” Braeburn snorted, holding back a grin.
“Nevermind, guys! I’ll get outta this tree myself eventually!” came the voice in the tree again, sounding just as displeased as the unicorn.
“Hold on,” said Rainbow Dash, cocking a suspicious eyebrow and staring up at the dangling hoof protruding from the leaves above. “I know that voice! Daring, is that you?!”
“Not thinkin’ ‘bout work no more, huh?” Applejack said quietly, only to be ignored by her friend.
“R-Rainbow Dash?” stammered the mare in the tree in disbelief. The branches moved from side to side, shaking a few of their leaves free until a familiar face poked out of the tree. The mare’s mane bore a spectrum of grays and black, contrasted against her large magenta eyes. Atop her head was an off-white pith hat, a portion of its brim wrapped in green fabric. When Rainbow Dash spotted her, she didn’t waste a millisecond before taking to the air and tackling Daring Do out of the tree. She stopped high in the air at a hover with her forelegs wrapped tightly around the archaeologist, who returned the favor with glee.
“Oh my gosh, you’re alive! What happened?! Did Ahuitzotl hurt you? Did you defeat him?!”
“Hey Dash-ow-I missed you too!” Daring grunted in pain, although not without a large smile.
As the two pegasi practically yelled at each other in high-pitched voices of excitement, Braeburn looked down to Applejack with a smirk. “Good news; we found Daring.”
The riflepony was caught off-guard as the orange mare threw her forelegs around him, holding him as tight as she could. Braeburn chuckled, wrapping a single foreleg around her in return. “Y’alright, AJ?”
“Ah’m fine,” said Applejack quietly, her voice muffled by his shoulder. “Ah’m just happy yer okay.”
Braeburn laughed aloud, wrapping a single foreleg around the mare’s neck. Big Macintosh walked up to them, giving the riflepony a friendly hit to the shoulder. “S’good to see ya’, cuz.”
“You too, Big Mac,” said Braeburn.
“So ya’ mind tellin’ us what’s goin’ on here?” asked Applejack, letting go of her cousin. She turned her head, glancing at the unicorn named Azure, standing awkwardly in the background. “And uh, introducin’ us to yer friend?”
Braeburn blinked, looking over to the cyan stallion. He waved a beckoning hoof, a wry grin on his face. “Azure, come on over here, would ya’?”
As the unicorn approached, Daring and Rainbow Dash landed aside Applejack, who gave her a friendly bump of the hoof. The farmer then turned her eyes to the unicorn, who didn’t seem to be comfortable in this particular setting. Braeburn was the one to start: “Applejack, Big Mac, this is our new friend; Azure Spark.”
“Glad to meet ya’, partner!” said Applejack, taking one of the unicorn’s forehooves and shaking it vigorously.
Azure’s head cocked back at the sudden enthusiastic hospitality, doing his best to shake her hoof back and smile. His yellow eyes seemed to avoid her, evidently taking more interest in the grass below. “H-Hello, and you too.”
“So what exactly brings ya’ll here of all places?” asked the orange mare, now more awake than she had been in days.
“Yeah, sorry to drop in like we did,” said Daring, giving Applejack and her brother an apologetic look. “We’re actually on our way to the Everfree Forest. We would’ve just teleported there, but this was the place Braeburn and I were able to sketch out the best for Azure.”
“Wait, so where did you guys come from if you teleported here?” asked Rainbow Dash, quirking an eyebrow inquisitively.
“Baltimare,” answered Azure, lowering his head in exhaustion.
Applejack and Rainbow’s jaws dropped, shock written over their faces. “Baltimare?!”
“My airship ran out of fuel before we thought it would,” Daring said, rubbing the back of her neck. “My godfather’s taking care of it in Baltimare before he makes his way here.”
“Hope ya’ don’t mind, but we asked him to land in the South fields o’ Sweet Apple Acres,” said Braeburn, giving Applejack a bashful grin. “There still ain’t too many trees out there, right?”
“Naw, Ah reckon that’d be alright. Might scare Granny somethin’ fierce if she ain’t expectin’ it, though,” Applejack grinned. “Anyhow, Ah ain’t no scholar in the likes o’ magic, but isn’t teleportin’ ‘cross country… uh, impossible?”
“Not if you have an awesome unicorn like Spark with you!” Daring grinned, giving the unicorn a sidelong glance.
“Well, teleportation happens to be my specialty,” said Azure, rubbing his horn with a painful wince. “But even so, that spell completely drained my magic. Sorry Braeburn, but I’m afraid I won’t be of much use for the time being.”
“Are ya’ kiddin’ me?” Braeburn chuckled. “You’ve been more help than any o’ us could ask for.”
Azure blinked once, staring at the beige stallion for a beat before wearing a small smile, looking back to the ground.
“But anyway,” Daring continued. “We really do need to get to the Everfree Forest. We’re kinda short on time.”
“Can Ah ask what’s in there fer ya’?” asked Applejack, confused.
“Well it’s a long story, but I need to get my copy of Cunning’s journal. Like, now o’ clock,” the archaeologist spoke hurriedly.
“Cunning’s journal? Ya’ know Ah still have Braeburn’s copy, would that help?”
There was a second of silence as Daring’s left eye twitched, slowly turning her head to glare up at the riflepony. Braeburn slapped a hoof to his forehead, wearing a self-loathing expression. “Confound it! Ah completely forgot ‘bout my copy!”
“You mean yours was… we… Ugh, it doesn’t matter. Actually, it’s great!” Daring said, her tone going from aggravated to elated in a few seconds. She turned back to Applejack. “Could I ask you to get it for us, AJ? It’s really important.”
Applejack looked up to her brother, asking a question with nothing more than a single inquisitive look. When he nodded, the mare smiled in agreement. “S’alright, Sugarcube. Now why don’t ya’ll come inside? Braeburn said there was somethin’ hidden in that book. Ah reckon ya’ might wanna sit down and get a good look at it.”
Daring sighed in relief. “Awesome, thanks!”
“And hey, maybe I can help!” Rainbow Dash chimed in, hovering beside her idol as they all followed Applejack and her brother toward the barn home.
Braeburn allowed himself a breath of relief, finally able to allow his tense muscles to relax. He walked behind Daring and Rainbow Dash, who seemed to be unable to get enough of each other’s stories. He smiled, comforted knowing that his marefriend could put her mind at ease if only for the moment. The two pegasi hovered a few hooves above the ground, laughing and grinning like two sisters seeing each other for the first time in years. After hearing the archaeologist’s chilling promise of vengeance, her being happy again was a welcomed sight.
Azure walked beside the beige stallion, giving him a sidelong glance every five or six steps. At first, Braeburn brushed it aside as a nervous tick. But after the unicorn kept looking at him, the riflepony looked back to the shorter stallion, offering a friendly smile. “Somethin’ on yer mind, partner?”
“What? Oh,” Azure snapped to attention, his yellow eyes continuing to scan the ground. “Well, I’m just a little… overwhelmed, I guess.”
“Overwhelmed?”
“Yes,” the unicorn answered. “I’m not exactly used to such… kind words and hospitality, as you can imagine.”
“Nice, ain’t it?” Braeburn agreed with a grin. “But hey, don’t expect us to be a thing like Sure Shot. Yer not a tool to us; yer a friend and an ally, so get used to it.”
“But why?” the unicorn asked hastily, lowering his voice to a loud whisper. “I’ve been branded as a criminal by Equestrian law! If you all are found harboring me, then you’ll be put behind bars too! Not to mention what I’ve done under Sure Shot’s orders!”
“Hey, calm down fer a sec,” said Braeburn, making a downward gesture with a hoof. “Did any o’ yer actions get noticed by the law? The things ya’ did fer Sure Shot?”
Azure blinked, cocking his head back an inch or two. He took a moment to chew on the question, holding a hoof over his mouth as he walked with the other three. “I… I don’t think so… We were exceptionally good at keeping ourselves unnoticed. Sure Shot was the only one that wasn’t afraid to show his face. Most of my job was to transport our allies, whether it was for travel or just to confuse the enemy. I think that one time in Appleloosa was the only instance when I was out in the open.”
“Good, then just make sure ya’ keep all o’ that to yerself,” said the taller stallion nonchalantly. “If Daring said that she could help ya’, then Ah would trust her. Fer now, yer safe here at Sweet Apple Acres. Ah just hope ya’ like apple-related treats. Ah reckon yer gonna have yer fill ‘round here.”
“Well… I think that sounds great. Your family seems to be very welcoming,” said Azure with a grateful smile.
“Only if ya’ don’t tick nopony off, the Apple Family will always be good to ya’.”
“Seems so,” Azure started. “Your cousin is… well, especially lovely.”
Braeburn skipped a step, nearly falling forward. He furrowed his brow, pursing his lips as he glanced over to the short stallion. It looked as if he wanted nothing more than to go back in time and take back his comment, for a light pink had started to surface over his cyan cheeks. “Ah’ll tell ya’ one thing, Azure: that mare will buck yer teeth out before doin’ whatever yer thinkin’.”
“Wh-What?! Oh, no, that’s not what I-”
“What’d Ah say ‘bout calmin’ yerself down?” Braeburn chuckled, giving him a friendly hit to the shoulder, almost knocking the unicorn over in the process. “But in all seriousness, that’s not a venture Ah would recommend.”
“I understand, I’m sorry,” Azure stammered. “I guess I was just… thinking aloud…”
Braeburn shook his head, the corner of his mouth upturned in a wry grin. They walked on, approaching the barn house. In front of Braeburn, Daring and Rainbow Dash finally took to the ground at a brisk trot. Up ahead, Big Macintosh opened the front door, holding it ajar for everypony to cross the threshold. They all piled into the humble dining room, all eyes falling on an elderly, pale green mare sitting in a recliner in the living room nearby. Her wrinkled eyes widened as they walked in, her forehooves ceasing production on a small article of crocheted clothing. Her gaze darted between them all, lifting a single eyebrow in confusion.
“What in tarnation is goin’ on ‘round here?” the old mare shrieked, slowly dipping down from the chair to stand wearily to the floor. She grabbed a thin wooden cane from a nearby end table, leaning a shaking foreleg on it. She hobbled over to the small group, her eyes finally centering on Braeburn, who was standing aside Big Macintosh near the door. “Braeburn! Ya’ finally show up to visit and yer bringin’ weapons into my home? Didn’t that father o’ yers teach you better than that?”
Braeburn blinked, sucking in a guilty breath through his teeth. “Ah’m a mite sorry, Granny Smith. But this is kind of a-”
“I don’t care what it is! Do me a favor and put ‘em somewhere they won’t hurt nopony,” Granny Smith scolded before looking to her granddaughter. “And Applejack, you and yer brother know better than to shirk off work! How in tarnation are we supposed to get ready fer cider season if yer roundin’ up yer friends fer some kinda social get-together?”
Nopony in the dining room expected such a scolding from the old mare, not even Applejack or her older brother. Rainbow Dash, Daring Do and Azure Spark looked as if they had turned to stone, for none of them dared to neither move nor blink. Something must have really gotten under her skin this morning, for Braeburn had never seen his great aunt so livid before. Applejack tilted her head in confusion, a worried expression plastered on her face. “Granny, are you alright? Ah mean, Ah’m sorry fer all o’ this, Ah wasn’t expectin’ any company today, Ah swear!”
“It’s our fault, Miss Smith,” Daring chimed in all of a sudden, wearing a humble look. “We kind of dropped in out of nowhere. We’re only gonna be here for a minute. I promise that we won’t distract your grandchildren any longer.”
Granny Smith took a step forward, her cane clacking on the wooden floorboard underhoof. “Make sure ya’ don’t, Missy. If anypony needs me, I’ll be finishin’ mah knittin’ upstairs. Applejack, Big Macintosh; I hope to see you two in the fields in the next five minutes.”
With that, Granny Smith turned on her cane and hobbled out of view from the dining room. Everypony held their breaths for a few moments, listening to her cane clack up the staircase until the sound of a closing door echoed throughout the home. Braeburn exhaled heavily, shooting his cousins a frightened gaze. “What in Equestria was that?!”
“Yeah AJ, since when is Granny Smith so snappy?” Rainbow agreed, cocking a reproachful eyebrow.
“Granny’s uh… Granny’s been pretty gosh-darned stressed fer the past few months,” Applejack answered slowly, staring at the spot that her grandmother previously occupied.
“Understatement of the century,” the prismatic mare replied, rolling her eyes.
“It hasn’t exactly been an easy ride, but Granny’s never been like this,” Applejack continued. “Usually she can deal with us bein’ underhoofed durin’ cider season, but she hasn’t been too keen on havin’ to hobble ‘round on that new cane o’ hers.”
“Did something happen to her?” Braeburn asked, dreading the answer.
“Age,” Big Macintosh answered plainly, a sad look in his eye. His sister nodded gravely, mirroring the red stallion’s expression.
“Poor thing ain’t takin’ it well, either,” said the orange mare, gesturing for the rest of the group to sit around the dining table. Everypony sat, save for her and her brother. “Ah’m sorry if she’s comin’ off a little harsh. Ah’ll be back with that book o’ yers real quick. Big Mac, you can go back outside. Ah’ll be there in a minute. Don’t wanna stress Granny out no more.”
Applejack exited the room then, leaving the rest of them to watch Daring place her saddlebags on the table in front of her. Rainbow paid close attention, her rose eyes full of wonder at every little thing the archaeologist did. It was funny to Braeburn in a small way, like a small fanfilly in the presence of her hero. As Daring extracted her notepad, quill and inkwell, the beige stallion noticed Big Macintosh staring at him from the other end of the table. The large red pony tilted his head at him, a covert look of concern on his face. His expression seemed to ask the question for him, and Braeburn understood it completely. The riflepony didn’t need to answer with words around his cousin; he never had. Whether it was a bond between stallions or cousins, they had always been able to communicate through expression. Braeburn gave him a sidelong grin, accompanied by a curt nod of reassurance. Just as always, Big Macintosh understood, confirming his reply. The red stallion stood up and left, resuming his work outside.
“Ooh, what’s this?” came Rainbow’s excited voice, and Braeburn looked over to find her pointing at Daring’s notes. “The ‘Fyre of Tar’? Is that some kind of secret code to unlock an ancient temple or something?”
Daring slowly turned her head to the cyan mare next to her, cocking an eyebrow. Rainbow had her elbows on the table, her forehooves holding up her awestruck face. “You’re really into those books, aren’t you?”
“Of course!” Dash exclaimed, her eyes fixated on the notepad. “Now come on, what is it?”
Daring couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s enthusiasm to help. “It’s a really long story, Dash. I’m not sure it would interest…”
The dark mare trailed off, noticing Rainbow’s large, wonder-filled eyes. “Or maybe it would interest you greatly.”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Okay, I’ve got an idea,” Daring grinned. “Here’s the deal: I tell you everything and let you help me, and you teach me a few moves while we wait for my airship to get here.”
Rainbow’s grin couldn’t have become any broader. “Hay yeah! Alright, let’s do this!”
The cyan mare’s timing couldn’t have been better, for a tall stack of papers was suddenly dropped between her, Azure, Braeburn and Daring. The top slip of paper bore the words Diary of Cunning the Colt: Copy Two.
“Welp, Ah sure hope ya’ find whatever yer lookin’ for, Daring,” said Applejack. “Now feel free to help yerselves to anything in the ice box if need be. We’ll be out workin’ on the farm.”
But before the farmer left, Braeburn held up a hoof to stop her, his head turning to Daring. “Hey, y’ain’t gonna need me or Azure fer this, right?”
“Um… no, I don’t think so,” she said before wrapping a foreleg around the pegasus sitting next to her. “Just Rainbow should do it!”
“Well then, cousin Applejack, looks like ya’ll have got yerselves two more workers fer the day!” said Braeburn happily, standing up to shrug off his weapons and duster. He left them under the table near his seat, only keeping his cowpony hat on. The stallion pulled Azure Spark to his hooves, much to the unicorn’s surprise. “Come on, Azure. Yer helpin’.”
“Wh-What? I don’t have any magic left!”
“Do any o’ us look like we have any such thing?”
“I don’t know how to buck apples!”
“Well then a crash course seems to be in order!”
Braeburn dragged Azure out the door, followed by an appreciative-looking Applejack. As they exited the barn home, the orange mare trotted alongside her cousin, finding Big Macintosh already bucking a tree full of apples in the fields ahead.
“Oh, Ah can’t believe Ah forgot to ask,” Applejack started, rolling her eyes at herself. She then leaned her head in toward the beige earth pony, giving him an inquisitive look. She lowered her voice a little to keep her words out of earshot of the unicorn a few paces behind them. “So did you and Daring… uh, get together?”
Braeburn smiled, knowing full and well that the question would be raised eventually. “Yeah, yeah we did.”
Applejack stopped for a moment to rear on her hindlegs, crying out a short yeehaw of celebration. “Thank Celestia! Ah was afraid o’ what woulda’ happened once you two saw each other again! Can’t say Ah’m all too surprised, though. You two always looked sweet on each other since the day we met her!”
“Heh, if ya’ only knew.”
“Well either way, it’s nice to see a smile on yer face again,” said Applejack, giving him a sincere smile. “Now why don’t we teach this here unicorn how to get his hooves dirty!”
Daring Do found herself staring with unfocused eyes at the spot where her coltfriend had left, a small, silly smile playing on her lips. She knew not of how much time had passed as she drifted off into space, simply sitting at the table with her forehooves resting on her knees. Suddenly, a bright blue hoof waved in front of the mare’s face, breaking her out of her stupor. She blinked a few times, looking to the pegasus on her right. Rainbow Dash wore a wry grin, lifting her brow knowingly.
“So I guess everything went alright in the end, huh?” she chuckled. Daring blinked once more, surprised that she was able to pick that up so easily. She may not have known her long, but Daring had already noted the cyan daredevil to be less than attentive.
“Oh, yeah. Yeah it went… really well,” Daring said softly, unable to shake the smile from her face.
“Heh, well that’s cool,” said Rainbow, not looking too comfortable about the subject. The archaeologist noticed this, and decided to dig a little further on the matter.
Daring leaned her cheek on a hoof, giving her friend a teasing grin. “So… any special somepony in your life?”
“Wh-What?” Rainbow stammered, fighting to save face. “P-Pff, I don’t have time for things like that. I’m too busy training for the Wonderbolts! I can’t have somepony dragging me down from my dream.”
“You sound like me when I was younger,” Daring replied. “I always thought that having some stallion following me around would be nothing but a bother. But it’s great once you get used to the idea. You never know; maybe instead of dragging you down, somepony can lift you up and help you accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
Rainbow looked as if she wanted to roll her eyes, but evidently decided not to. “What Hearts and Hooves Day card did you take that from?”
“The one they give you once you’ve experienced it,” Daring countered with a grin. “So here’s the million-bit question: if you’re not looking for a special somepony, then why did you grow your mane out so-”
“I haven’t had time to get it cut and I hate it,” Rainbow groaned quickly, as if answering the question had become an annoying routine.
Daring laughed aloud. “Well, you should keep it like that. It’s cute.”
Ignoring Rainbow’s snort, Daring pulled Braeburn’s copy of Cunning’s diary toward herself, flipping through the pages to find where she had left off in her own copy. “Now let’s get down to business. I won’t go on about why, but we don’t exactly have a lotta time here.”
The morning went on as Daring continued to decode Cunning’s journal, with the assistance of a few cups of coffee and a surprisingly helpful Rainbow Dash. While she didn’t exactly emanate an aura of brilliance, the cyan pegasus occasionally chimed in with a few useful observations. Daring Do read every last sentence with extreme care, hoping to Celestia that she didn’t miss any oddly-placed words and therefore misspell the message hidden within. The work proved more and more tedious with each page, growing more difficult to find anything that raised a red flag. There were even a few instances when the archaeologist paused for minutes at a time, trying to decide whether or not certain words could have been part of the code.
As excited as she had been to assist Daring, it only took an hour for Rainbow Dash to lose her focus and drift off to sleep, her chin resting on the tabletop. The other pegasus didn’t mind, for it had taken her a while to realize that her friend had fallen unconscious next to her. Daring could only smile, mouthing the words I told you so to herself. Even when she ran into a roadblock in the book, she never once considered waking Rainbow up. She had already looked to be exhausted, as if staying awake was a monumental chore. Sometime before noon, Daring gave the cyan mare’s long mane a light, playful ruffle, more to momentarily distract herself than anything.
Once the morning had ended and the sun was at its apex for the day, Braeburn, his cousins and a fatigued Azure Spark returned inside for lunch. Daring, however, was far too poured into her work to even consider eating. Her coltfriend had tried to give her a sandwich multiple times, but Daring wordlessly refused every time. She would eat when she was satisfied with her results; a sentence that she played in her head whenever her empty stomach growled desperately at her. Even Granny Smith ate with them, looking much more content now that their guests had been able to help in the orchard. Eventually they had returned to work outside, leaving Daring to continue her arduous work of reading and writing.
It wasn’t until hours later that the pegasus was able to utter an enormous sigh of relief, letting her forehead fall atop the closed copy of the diary. The impact forced Rainbow Dash to wake with a fright, subconsciously gasping something about a tortoise. Daring inhaled and slowly pushed herself upright in her chair, her eyes half-lidded and bloodshot. She cast a glance toward the window, finding the sun to be growing close to the treetops in the distance.
“Whoa, okay, I’m up,” Rainbow said, rubbing her eyes. “Hey Daring, I’m sorry for falling asleep… Hang on, did you get that done already?!”
Daring looked to the notepad in front of her, finding the page full of scrawled notes and letters surrounding a single message. She had difficulty focusing on it long enough to figure out what it meant, but the mare was convinced that it was the message that Cunning had meant to leave behind. “Heh, I guess I did, didn’t I?”
“Are you okay? You look like you’re gonna hurl.”
“I’m… okay,” she replied, finding herself hesitating before answering. “Do me a favor and go get everypony-”
But her sentence was cut off as the front door opened, allowing Azure and Braeburn to reenter the barn house. The two of them paced in slowly, their coats shimmering with perspiration. Braeburn looked relatively pleased with himself, while the unicorn did not. His head was hung low, his unkempt mane matted against his brow with sweat. Daring couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Azure’s fatigue, remembering his face when Braeburn dragged him outdoors to work. Apparently Applejack and her brother were still wrapping up outside.
“Okay, nevermind,” said the dark mare as they sat at the table across from her and Rainbow.
“Daring, are ya’ alright?” asked Braeburn, his expression turning from tired to concerned in a flash. “Ya’ didn’t take a single break, did ya’?”
“Not that I can remember,” Daring replied, her words slow and quiet, her body gently wobbling forward and backward in her chair. “But hey, I just got this thing figured out.”
She pushed the notepad across the table to the beige stallion, who leaned over to read it. He cocked an eyebrow, looking between the message and Daring with a confused expression. “If you were hopin’ Ah’d get what this means, Ah hate to say but yer gonna be disappointed.”
“I don’t expect you to.”
“Thanks.”
“Shoosh, you know what I mean,” Daring replied, rubbing her temples in a failed attempt to rid her eyes of the throbbing pain they were causing her. She then grabbed her notes and slid them back over to herself, reading them aloud. “’I am one of many. We safeguard the Fyre of Tartarus. I alone hold one of three: the Thief, the Hero and the Spellcaster.’”
“How’d Ah know that message wasn’t gonna be straight-forward?” Braeburn muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow.
“What, did you expect the Fyre of Tartarus to be at the end of a dotted line?” asked Daring. “Now I won’t pretend to have an immediate answer to its meaning, but I think I have a few ideas.”
“So does that mean you know what our next step is?” asked Azure, picking his head up from the table with a hopeful look in his eye.
“Not until I figure out who the Hero and the Spellcaster are,” Daring replied, supporting her head on her hoof.
“Here’s a question,” said Braeburn, leaning his elbows on the table. “Ah’ve been wonderin’ since this mornin’; why would Cunning of all ponies be a part o’ this group that protected the Fyre, and why would they leave behind a note tellin’ where it is if it’s so dangerous?”
“Good question,” said the dark mare, hoping somepony would inquire about such a thing. “Well, look at it this way: if you were a part of a secret group that kept an item of divine power such as the Fyre of Tartarus safe and out of the hooves of evil, wouldn’t you wanna make sure it stayed that way even after you all were dead and buried? These guys couldn’t let that happen, so they left behind a trail of breadcrumbs for the ones they thought to be worthy enough to safeguard the Fyre if need be. Evidently, Braeburn, Cunning thought his descendants to be perfect for the job.”
Braeburn blinked, cocking his head back. “What? What makes ya’ think that?”
Daring exhaled, attempting to wade through her impatience. “Think about it, Brae. Thumper was once Cunning the Colt’s personal weapon and it was kept in your family for generations until it was used by you to unlock his tomb. In that tomb we recovered his diary, and in that diary was the message about the Fyre. He wanted somepony of his blood to protect the Fyre if it was ever threatened to be obtained by the likes of evil.”
“Hang on,” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “Wasn’t Cunning the Colt some kind of bank robber or something?”
“Yes.”
“Then why would he care about keeping this really powerful thing out of the wrong hooves? It just seems weird to me,” the cyan mare concluded.
“That part I still don’t know yet, unfortunately,” Daring sighed, her gaze shifting to the copy of the diary in front of her. “I’ve read that thing twice now, and nothing points to why a criminal like him would try to keep the world safe, but evidently, he did.”
“I wonder if Sure Shot knows all of this,” Azure pondered aloud. “Or for that matter, where he went and what he’s doing.”
Something sparked in Daring’s mind then. She had nearly forgotten about the bandit leader in the midst of her work. “Wait… Azure, Sure Shot escaped using your magic in that gem thing, right? Do you know where that teleportation spell could have brought them?”
“No, not really,” he replied. “He forced me to make quite a few of those gems, with various amounts of magic.”
“Great, now that maniac’s got more o’ those?” Braeburn groaned.
“I’m sorry, but yes,” Azure answered sincerely, looking especially guilty. “I know that three of them were teleportation spells; two short distance and one long distance. I think it’s safe to say that he used the long range spell to get himself, Ahuitzotl and that riflemare off the island and back to Equestria.”
“Yeah, I figured as much,” Daring muttered. “Not to mention when he left, Sure Shot didn’t seem all too mad about not getting the diary’s location from me. Maybe… maybe he thought that getting a copy from me would be easier than breaking into the museum and stealing that one. So without knowing of Braeburn’s copy and being unable to find mine, he would be forced to take the original.”
Everypony else’s heads shot up, their eyes wide.
“Then he’s headin’ for Canterlot,” Braeburn realized aloud. “And with Ahuitzotl with him-”
“He might get it,” Daring finished gravely. “It wouldn’t be hard for him to steal the diary with a demigod on his side.”
“What about the princesses?” Rainbow asked frantically. “Won’t they be able to stop him?”
“It wouldn’t be a problem for a mind like Sure Shot’s to obtain the diary without them knowing,” said Azure. “He may be borderline insane, but he’s not stupid enough to take on an alicorn, let alone two. However, that doesn’t mean that innocent ponies couldn’t die in Sure Shot’s wake.”
“Then that’s our next step!” Braeburn exclaimed, standing to his hooves. “We’re the only ones that know this, so we gotta stop him!”
“Right,” Daring agreed, turning to Rainbow Dash. “I don’t know when my ship will arrive, and we’re stuck here until it does. Rainbow, can you find your friend Twilight and have her send a letter to Princess Celestia?”
“Faster than a bullet!” she confirmed confidently. Daring nodded, grabbing her quill with her teeth and dipping it in the inkwell. She turned the page of her notepad and began scrawling a message, finishing it with her signature. She folded the note and gave it to the cyan mare, who wasted no time in taking it and bolting out the door.
“Okay,” Daring sighed, allowing herself to take a breath. “That way the Princesses will at least have a warning before we get there.”
“If there’s a bright side to this, Ah think that it’s the fact that we’re ahead o’ the game,” Braeburn said optimistically. Daring furrowed her brow at that thought, finding her lips slowly curling into a malicious grin. Her coltfriend took notice of her sudden change of expression, wearing a look of worry. “Uh, Daring? Ya’ sure yer alright?”
“You just made me realize something, Brae,” she grinned, feeling more awake than she had that day. “Every expedition I’ve ever been a part of has always been just that; an expedition. But now… now there’s another pony looking for the same thing; looking to find it before we do. Never before have I been working against somepony in this field, and it’s… exciting. This is a race, and I plan to win.”
“So, that went well.”
“It went well?! Have you completely lost your mind?!”
The morning sun shone brightly through a long row of foggy, dirty windows high above. The light was dim, barely reaching the concrete floor two stories below. The moist air of the open interior smelled of mold and soaked wooden floorboards, emphasizing the abandoned state of the harbor. Three large bay doors were sealed shut on the other side of the large building, holding back their respective pools of stagnant water. The ocean winds howled outside, muffled by the thin, creaking walls surrounding them. On the edges of the interior were old, broken metal stairwells leading to a catwalk above. From the high ceiling hung a plethora of chains, dangling from a number of inoperable crane systems. Every bit of metal in the harbor was rusted, and every length of wood seemed close to withering away. The floor, thankfully, was solid enough to accommodate two ponies and a four meter tall demigod.
A large wooden spindle presumably used for storing chains had been flipped onto its side in the middle of the harbor, serving as a makeshift table for a purple stallion and a forest-green mare. Sure Shot looked past Eagle Eye, giving Ahuitzotl his lazy gaze. The beast was positively seething, baring his long rows of razor-sharp teeth. “Not only did I lose my tail to that simpleton riflepony, but we were outgunned and forced to flee! If it went well, I would still have all of my limbs, and we would be on our way to the Fyre by now!”
Sure Shot tilted his head, his eyelids half-closed. He uttered a large yawn, briefly holding a hoof over his mouth. “You speak as if we have lost everything. Did you really think that business in Mesoequestria was my one and only plan?”
“Then would you mind sharing your plan with your allies?” Ahuitzotl growled, his left eye twitching violently. His enormous shoulders were hunched, his sharp shoulder blades peaking over his thick neck. The riflepony allowed his eyes to flick down to the beast’s long claws, finding them tearing thick gouges into the moist wood.
“If I may, sir,” said Eagle Eye, her androgynous voice low but prominent. She flicked her long blonde bangs from her face, revealing her cold, pale blue eyes. Her expression was unreadable, chillingly so. “We may prove to be much more useful to you if we can know the rest of the plan.”
Sure Shot rolled his eyes with a grin, leaning back on a crate as he crossed his hindhooves atop the makeshift table. “Yes, I would imagine you two to find that to be a good idea. All you need to know is our next step.”
“Yes, we are to wait for your ponies to meet us here in this wretched shack,” Ahuitzotl scoffed. “But that tells us nothing.”
“It tells you what you need to know, and nothing more. I withhold information in case something like Sparks happens again. If I told everypony working for me the whole outline of my plan, then that unicorn would have told Braeburn everything. This would not go so well if that happened,” the purple stallion sighed, suddenly taking a vague interest in the bottom of his forehoof. “We may have lost the chance to obtain the information we need from Daring Do, but in return, we learned a fair amount.”
“Such as?” the feline demigod snorted, his voice annoyed.
“We learned just what we’re up against,” Sure Shot answered matter-of-factly. “More importantly, we learned that and were able to walk away with it. It seems that Mister Apple has acquired some extreme firepower, as well as a few helpful allies. I’m not sure what exactly he fired, but if it was enough to incinerate an entire limb in a matter of seconds, then his weaponry will prove to be quite the bonus once he joins us.”
“Alright, I am afraid that I’ll have to interrupt you here,” said Eagle Eye, interjecting with a raised forehoof. “Just where do you see an outcome in which Braeburn Apple works for you? I don’t mean to speak out of turn, but that stallion attempted to incinerate you in a raging inferno. I apologize sir, but I don’t see him joining you willingly.”
“I didn’t say it would be his first choice,” the riflepony smirked confidently. “As I said before, sharing any step of the process before we are about to take it would prove to be dangerous. In any case, we were also able to… well, trim the fat, as it were.”
“Oh?” asked Eagle Eye, lifting an eyebrow ever so slightly.
“What, did you seriously think that Gun Powder was a necessity?” the purple stallion asked. “He proved to be useful in the past, but do you really consider us to be hindered by the loss of his life? Recently, my needs have not included dead weight such as him. No, I need ponies like you, Eagle, and allies like you, Ahuitzotl. And going back to the subject of Sparks, it was good that he betrayed us now rather than later. ”
“Make sure that you don’t say that in front of the ponies meeting us here,” the green mare replied. “Or any other of your bandits for that matter.”
“They’re only working with me for the pay. How I feel about them doesn’t apply in their case,” said Sure Shot.
“If you’re certain.”
“Indeed I am.”
A moment passed before somepony knocked on one of the side doors of the old building. Sure Shot grinned, satisfied with their timing. Eagle Eye promptly stood up from her spot across the table and strode over to the source of the sound. Ahuitzotl watched intently as the riflemare cracked open the door, starting a short, hushed exchange with the visitor. As soon as she was convinced of their identities, Eagle swung the door open and stepped aside, allowing two stallions to quickly wheel in a large crate on a moving cart.
Sure Shot smiled with glee as the two ponies brought the box to him, keeping their eyes away from his. The crate was nailed shut, its top covered with many warning labels. Along the side, the words Equestrian Royal Guard: Ground Division were stamped into the wood in bold letters. The bandit leader rolled to his hooves as the two delivery ponies set the crate down next to him. One of them wheeled the cart out from under it, while the other’s horn lit up, his magic floating a claw hammer over to begin freeing the nails from the wood.
“Impeccable timing, you two,” Sure Shot smirked, his orange eyes fixed on each nail being pried free. “I do hope that nothing went amiss.”
“It was almost like security took the night off,” laughed the unicorn as his pegasus partner approached the crate.
“Sure Shot, what exactly is this?” Ahuitzotl asked, leaning his head over the makeshift table to get a better look. The pegasus delivery pony looked to be shaking, his wide eyes flickering between the box and the enormous feline beast. When Ahuitzotl spoke, Sure Shot heard him attempt to stifle a yelp of fear.
“The next step in Equestrian technology, my friend,” the riflepony chuckled, growing visibly excited. “Its existence is not yet known to the public. One of my insiders was able to tip me off about this.”
The unicorn smiled to himself as he lifted the last nail from the top of the crate, setting aside the hammer and focusing his magic on the wooden top. He lifted the large expanse of wood, floating it behind himself and letting it drop to the floor with a sharp bang. Everypony leaned their heads over the edge of the crate, their eyes widening at the sight.
“Sure Shot…” Eagle nearly gasped. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Ohoho, yes,” the riflepony grinned maliciously, dipping a hoof into the box to graze it along a length of reflective steel. “Alright, load her up. We’re off to Canterlot.”
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Very good...The only thing missing was a romantic moment between Braeburn and Daring...But, that reall wasn't necessary, so good job!
And now this story really turns into an Indiana Jones adventure. The race is on.
I wonder what it could be, my instincts say a rocket launcher, or recoil-less rifle.
I'm going to guess that it's a Rail Gun.
Needs more shotgun.
Oh yes, the race is on. First one there gets to reshape the world if they so choose!
Comma.
Comma.
Colon.
Comma.
Comma.
Comma.
Farm house?
Backwards single quote.
Colon.
Colon.
Comma.
Extra space.
So I assume Cunning is the Thief of this bunch or something, but when I read this something else clicked in my head,
The Thief : Daring
The Hero : Braeburn
The Spellcaster: Azure
...huh.
Yeah, hoping it's something that launches explosives. I really like explosives.
Congrats on another great chapter!
2174510
How did I not realize that sooner?! Seriously, it's so not fair!
Anyway, I'm expecting Rainbow missing out on a day of work to come back and bite her in the plot soon.
Let's see:
Royal guard ground forces
so not likely to be something for aerial uses, ie a plane
2 stallions pushing in large crate on a wheeled cart
small enough that it doesn't need to have lots of power to move
several warning labels on the box
possibly biohazard or radioctive, could be explosive or flammable, also corrosive is possible
shining metal
mostly or all metal build materials
Possibilities: rocket laucher, flamethrower, advanced armor or ballistic weapons. I'm sure there are more possibilities but too lazy to think about them.
Damn, Azure is impressive with his teleportation skills, going across Equestria to somewhere he'd never been!
That is why he one of my favorite ponies in this story, even if he probably didn't do much good with his apple bucking. 
Amazing as always
2175509Other Possibilities: minigun, laser rifle, machete crossbow
It's gotta be a machine gun of sorts.... A gatling gun maybe.
I'm calling gatling gun! Definitely gatling gun!
Oh dear...Sure Shot + heavy weaponry = not good...
Thief, Hero, and Spellcaster? Well, you could have been a bit more subtle with that.
With the dots I connected in my head (espionage mode: activated), Cunning the Colt and friends were protecting the Fyre from the government...
Sure Shot escaped a prison that was thought to be impossible without a lot of inside help, or aid from someone very high up...
Luna, as an alicorn, had a very power-hungary dark side after defeating Discord and living in the shadow of her sister...
And Celestia and Luna's mother is guessed to be the creator of all things, leaving a large shadow for her children.
Hmm...
Celestia is Sideous.
media.tumblr.com/0f0dfe3050e3712420ceb0b421bbcfce/tumblr_inline_miimiubqua1r3a4b6.gif
Dude, seriously, I find this is the best series I've read on FimFiction!
Keep writing and updating!
My Guess is Flammen Werfer.
Excellent work as always. Seeing Daring and Rainbow reuniting was definitely a brilliant move, but just seeing the interaction between everyone is awesome
. I can't wait to see what the thing in the box is, but if it was kept under raps by the royal guard, it is certainly gonna be a doozy 
I can't wait for your next update, I'm getting so pumped
Gatling gun. Calling it now.
It's gotta be a gatling, if you're following the actual technological progression. I have no idea what they're gonna use it for, but that's gonna be absolute hell on Bullet Tyme's ability to swat projectiles out of the air...
I'm telling you, the Fyre of Tartarus is the Halo Rings. Or the Composer. One of the two, but I'm beginning to lean towards Composer.
The Thief, the Hero, and the Spellcaster? Daring Do, Braeburn, Azure Sparks. Kind of feels like a Triforce thing, or (to be more appropriate to the material) the Elements of Harmony, each aspect being represented by a different character.
Course I could be wrong about this, but it popped into my mind immediately when I read it. Great as always DiveBomb.
Ooh, boy, that isn't going to be pretty. I'm guessing it's a gatling. Either hand cranked, to fit in with the western theme, or magitek powered. Or something explody. Whatever it is, I doubt you want to be standing on the wrong end of it...
2177155 Agreed, or some form of rapid fire weaponry
2179821 Well, it seems to be period accurate anyways.
Ah, little bit of a time skip there. Not a big one, but it's a nice change of pace from another chapter on the airship.
I see that woke Dash right the hay up.
Hmn, a little AzureApple in the works, perhaps?
Mildly suspicious. Makes me wonder how much Granny knows about his father.
Also mildly suspicious.
Thief, Hero, and Spellcaster. Part of me is expecting the last one to end up being Star Swirl, but I'm fairly sure that the timeline doesn't line up right. I am more certain of a guess that it's going to be a pegasi and unicorn as the other two.
It'd be cool to see a Princess/Ahuitzotl fight.
I get the feeling that Sure Shot just acquired himself some artillery.
I do like the Dash/Daring bits.
RD and DD are best best friends.
2177155
There can be no doubt. It's gotta be.
2176987
Nebelwerfer. Ok, it wouldn't be, but can you imagine?
2177155 With these kinds of stories, can't go wrong with a Gatling gun!
Wow! This and Treasure in the West have become one of my favorite stories so far. Treasure in the West may have dragged a bit, but setting up this more than makes up for it!
I just love Braeburn and Daring. Their reunion really touched my heart. 
Sure Shot is a most formidible opponent. Can't wait to find out what his whole plan is. Ahuizotl is as well. However, I always imagined Ahuizotl as more of a primary villain I guess. Here, he doesn't even seem like he's Sure Shot's partner. He's more like his Dragon. Doesn't really detract from the story though. I eagerly await the next installment. I can't wait to see what happens next. Keep up the good work.
Considering that the weapons technology of Equestria in this story is where it is, I'm guessing the new weapon is something of the likes of a Gatling gun, or an improved version of one if one has already appeared in story somewhere. Or it could be worse and be a fully automatic, magic being involved in the research process would allow for that. At the very least we know it isn't anything of the ilk of rockets or RPGs. I hope. Whatever it is, I look forward to seeing it in action.
This is probably my most favorite fiction of all on this site. Or of all sites. I never saw myself as one to go for romance, much less between ponies, but DAMN I love Braeburn x Daring. Not to mention the epic suspense, action, one-liners, and... everything.
The only thing I'm concerned about is the "tragedy" tag. I want this story to have a happy ending!
Or at least, you know, relatively happy. I can definitely see someone turning out dead after this. (I mean besides Sure Shot, or any other antagonist.) I just hope it isn't Brae or Daring.
Okay, I'll admit to being stubborn and maybe even a bit of an ass when it comes to stories that I'll actually follow, but you, my good man, have frustrated me only by not having chapters out faster. This series plugged me in and actually has me constantly coming back to fimfiction looking for a new installment of this series. You're the only one to do that ever since the original Fallout: Equestria by Kkat. I love how you compose the characters and, whenever something seems like its adrenaline rush is coming to an end, 3ml to the Heart (Nearly lethal dose, even to a patient in critical). As a smartass and an avid reader/writer, I love when I make the little connections before they're revealed then having them being confirmed (such as Bullet Tyme(Bullet Tyme -> Bullet Time-> Matrix Slo-Mo) teaching Sure Shot to shoot bullets out of air and Braeburn being Cunning's descendant and Thumper being the Key (though I thought he was supposed to shoot it from a certain position. Glad to be wrong, you had the round much better used.), from the first installment of the series). Keep up the good work DiveBomb, I look forward to the rest of the story.
-Clockwork Revolution
I'm really on the fence for this one: I enjoyed Treasure in the West (for the most part), but the ending left me disappointed. So please, to all of you who have read the story thus far, answer me this: In what chapter do Braeburn and Daring Do finally kiss? 'Cause really, that's what's gonna decide this for me at this point.
Uh, revolver cannon? Just to be different.
So before i read on i want to voice my thougths about this new weapon.
It probably isn´t a Flamethrower, as Sure Shot, says that Braeburn´s would be an addition to their weaponery.
It can´t be some kind of big artilary, because of the described size.
As it should give them an edge, I think it isn´t a gattling, as the early ones wouldn´t have an edge against the Dragon bullets.
So I Claim it some kind of grenadelauncher, or atleast something with explosives.
You know, I've never really understood the point of a pony walking around with a cane. With them being quadrupeds, it kind of defeats the purpose. .