“A curfew?! What in the hay is this?!”
Several ponies were gathered around a newsstand in the center of downtown Ponyville, murmuring words of distaste and confusion toward a large, bright yellow flier set in the center of the bulletin board behind the salespony. Nopony seemed to know the reasoning for the notice, and simply demanded an answer from the owner of the stand. Two mares in particular, however, merely situated themselves in the middle of the small crowd. One stood on the ground, while the other hovered in the air to see the flier over the heads of the other ponies. The poster bore only a few words in a black, bold font:
ATTENTION! Until further notice, there will be an 8pm curfew set to all cities and towns of Equestria, effective October 20th.
“I apologize, everypony!” the stand owner yelled over the many voices, quelling them momentarily. “But I don’t know anything about this! A messenger from Canterlot just dropped it off a few hours ago for me to post on the board!”
“Well, what did he say?” asked a young colt. “Did he say why?”
“No, he did not,” said the salespony, his tone becoming irritated. “Now if you would excuse me, it’s time for me to close up shop for the night! It’s already past midnight and I should have been at home asleep hours ago!”
Unwilling to hear another word from them, the proprietor slammed the wooden doors of his stand shut, cutting off the disgruntled citizens of Ponyville. The small crowd slowly dispersed, grumbling as they walked away. The hovering mare flopped to the ground, sitting on her haunches with her forelegs crossed, a scornful look on her face. With a snort, the mare blew her multi-hued bangs from her face, casting them aside and out of her eyes.
“Now when am I gonna practice my new moves? Ugh, this has been the worst month ever!” said the cyan pegasus, defiantly looking away from the orange earth mare standing next to her.
“Now Rainbow, don’t ya’ think yer over-exaggerating a bit?” she said, giving her friend a reassuring smile. The cowpony nudged the pegasus to her hooves forcibly, receiving a shake of the head in return.
“I’m not exaggerating period, Applejack!” said Rainbow Dash, fuming. “I haven’t been able to train since I got all these hours of overtime thrown onto me! How am I supposed to get into the Wonderbolts if I’m working so much?”
“Ah don’t think Ah heard you complainin’ when ya’ saw how much more money you were rakin’ in ‘cause o’ that,” said Applejack in a calming voice.
Rainbow Dash groaned once more, rolling her eyes as they started to walk through the nearly empty town square. “Yeah, I guess…”
“And with all those extra bits, Ah reckon you can afford to buy yer good ol’ friend Applejack a late night bite to eat, right?” the orange mare smirked, prodding Rainbow with a hoof between steps.
The pegasus rolled her eyes, although not without a small grin. “Geeze, AJ. Don’t bother to be shy about it or anything.”
“What can Ah say? All that hard work gives a pony an appetite.”
“Yeah, I’m starving too,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Go figure, I help you on the farm all night on my only day off this week, and I’m the one buying dinner.”
“And you’ll be gettin’ a whole lotta free cider this season, don’t you worry yer colorful little head about it,” Applejack reassured, bringing a wider grin to the blue mare’s face.
There was something soothing about Ponyville at night. All that illuminated the downtown district was the moon and a few street lights lining the edges of the town square. The streets weren’t bustling with busy ponies and shoppers, but were still alive in their own right. The town was bathed in the pale blue moonlight, bringing a sense of calm to the few that walked the night. A cool autumn breeze whispered through the air, barely heard amongst the sounds of echoing hoofsteps and hushed voices. Even in a small town like Ponyville, the late hour didn’t stop a few of the stands and shops from keeping their doors open for business.
However, Applejack knew little of the town after hours. At this time of night, she was usually in bed resting, preparing for the next day of work on the farm. But tonight, she didn’t feel quite ready to sleep. It had also been a few weeks since anypony had been able to see Rainbow Dash, so the orange mare was appreciative that she got the chance to see her. While the extra work was indeed good for the labor-reluctant stunt flier, her friends couldn’t help but miss her company, perhaps Applejack most of all. She looked over to her blue friend, nearly wincing once she took in the pegasus’ face. Rainbow’s magenta eyes bore dark semi-circles under them, their corners bloodshot and her pupils unfocused.
The poor mare looked to be running on fumes at this point, and the farmer was astonished to see her walking still. Even her mane looked to be displaying her larger workload. Her disheveled bangs now hung lazily past her eyes, dusting her left cheekbone before she could shake it away. The rest now draped over one shoulder, reaching the lower half of her chest.
“And speakin’ o’ yer colorful little head, ya’ mind if Ah ask what’s goin’ on with yer mane nowadays?” Applejack asked, quirking a brow. “I’ve never seen ya’ wear it so long.”
“Not like it’s my choice or anything,” Rainbow snorted. “I haven’t even had the time to get it cut since Cloudkicker’s old hours got dumped onto me, along with lazy Thunderlane’s!”
“Remind me why she’s been outta work?”
“She has a relative in Baltimare that got hurt in some sort of accident or something. So she’s been on leave,” the pegasus answered bitterly. “Kinda stinks for her, but it’s been exhausting for me. The only time I’ve been able to practice lately is at night, but I guess I can’t even do that now. Since when do we need a country-wide curfew anyway? Sheesh.”
“Well…” Applejack started, wondering whether or not to voice her suspicions of the curfew. It was possible that Twilight’s letter to the Princess had sparked a fear prominent enough to take action upon. But then again, it seemed foolish to do such a thing without solid evidence of a threat. Did something happen to give Celestia reason enough to take such a precaution? “… Ah guess Ah don’t rightly know. But hey, at least we still got tonight to be outdoors.”
“Yeah, I guess. Oh! Here’s a good place,” said Rainbow, stopping in her tracks to point out an open shop on the corner of two side streets. Applejack recognized it to be the town’s local doughnut shop, its large windows showing a predictable lack of customers. “Yeah, I think this’ll do just fine.”
“Ah wouldn’t mind a cup o’ joe myself,” the farmer admitted, following her friend into the modest store.
Rainbow pushed open the front door to the sound of a bell ringing overhead, attracting the attention of the few customers sitting with their food and beverages. The place bore the warm, wonderful scent of baked goods and coffee. One pony near the back of the restaurant, however, seemed completely focused on a small stack of books on her table. Rainbow Dash and Applejack took a few moments to recognize her in their fatigue, but eventually the pegasus called the mare’s name across the shop: “Twilight? Hey, Twilight!”
The violet mare’s head shot upward in surprise, her neatly-cut bangs bouncing from the sudden movement. Her eyes widened with glee at the sight of her friends, who trotted across the store to sit at the unicorn’s table.
“Rainbow? Applejack? What are you two doing here?” asked Twilight, her expression bright despite her tired looking eyes.
“Ah’d ask ya’ the same question, Twi’,” said Applejack, climbing onto the stool across from the violet mare’s, Rainbow taking the one next to her. The farmer gestured to a steaming cup of black coffee, wearing an odd expression. “And Ah thought ya’ hated coffee. And what’re ya’ doin’ readin’ yer books here instead of at home?”
“Kinda unlike you, Twilight,” Rainbow agreed, leaning her elbows on the round table.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” the unicorn started, grimacing at the half-empty mug next to her opened book. “I think this stuff is bitter and disgusting, but I need it to stay awake tonight.”
“You can’t sleep until you’ve filled your quota of books for the day, huh?” Rainbow chided, leaning her cheek on a hoof for support. Twilight looked up to retort, but froze as she took in the pegasus’ new look. Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “What? Oh, right. Darn it.”
Twilight giggled as Rainbow Dash scowled at herself, attempting to throw her mane aside but to no avail. With a scowl, the cyan mare gave up as her prismatic bangs returned to the left side of her face. The unicorn quieted the rest of her laughter, placing a hoof over her mouth. “Don’t let Rarity see you like that. She’d have a field day with that mane.”
“Can’t ya’ just imagine cute little Rainbow Dash all fancied-up and ladylike?” Applejack teased, much to Rainbow’s displeasure. The farmer then took it a step further, wafting a forehoof through the blue and purple in her mane. “Ah can see Rarity puttin’ all kinds o’ products and other nonsense in here to make ya’ look like a real catch, RD. Maybe you can even borrow Applebloom’s bow-”
“Will you quit it?!” Rainbow exclaimed, frantically waving Applejack’s hoof away from her head. The other two mares shared a stifled chuckle, while Rainbow merely folded her forelegs with a cross look on her face.
A few minutes later, a waitress took Applejack’s and Rainbow Dash’s orders, returning promptly with two cups of coffee and a small plate of plain doughnuts. For a moment or two, the mares silently ate to their hearts’ content while Twilight poured herself into the large tome in front of her, occasionally flipping through pages as if to seek something specific.
“Anyway, what’s so important that you to need to be up all night reading about it, Twilight?” asked Rainbow Dash through a mouthful of pastry.
Twilight answered after scowling at a sip of black coffee from her mug, setting it back down scornfully. “Ugh, never again with this stuff. Oh, right; the books. Actually, I’m trying to find information about Cunning the Colt.”
“You mean AJ’s cousin’s ancestor?” asked the pegasus before washing down her bite with a long sip of her own steaming mug. “Wasn’t his diary or whatever recovered? Why don’t you just read that?”
“Because I already read Braeburn’s copy of it cover to cover, and I can’t find what I’m looking for,” said the unicorn, not bothering to tear her eyes away from her book.
“Would Daring know anything about it? I mean, maybe she knows more about the diary since, you know, she found it and all.”
“Well I can’t do that, considering…” Twilight trailed off. She slowly looked up to Rainbow, frowning in evident confusion. She then turned her gaze to Applejack, who stopped eating on reflex. “Applejack, didn’t you tell her what happened?”
“Uhh… well, we were kinda busy on the farm all day. Ah didn’t quite get the chance,” the orange mare explained, starting to wish that she had recounted what happened in Appleloosa.
“Tell me what happened?” the pegasus repeated, also staring at Applejack.
“Uhh…” she stalled again, taking a brief look at their surroundings. “Maybe this ain’t the place to talk about it.”
Rainbow Dash, however, did not look to be so easily deterred. Her eyes were wide with worry, her forehooves clutching her mug of coffee on the table. “Did something happen to Daring? Darn it, Applejack! Don’t keep me in the dark like you two did last year! Tell me what happened!”
“Alright, alright! Keep yer voice down fer pete’s sake!” the orange mare hissed, lowering her voice to a loud whisper as she made a calming gesture with a hoof. “This isn’t somethin’ you should be spreadin’ around. D’ya promise not to flip a biscuit right now if I tell you?”
With that, the cyan mare took a short but deep breath, nodding a little calmer. “Yes, alright?”
Applejack motioned for her to move closer, to which Rainbow complied, allowing the farmer to whisper: “Now we don’t know much, but me and Twilight were in Appleloosa the other day when we found out that Daring Do had been taken… by Ahuitzotl.”
“Wh-What?!” Rainbow exclaimed, her voice cracking as she hollered in the middle of the shop, attracting startled glances from the other few ponies that were eating around them. “By… he’s… what happened?! Where are they?!”
“Rainbow! Pipe down already!” Applejack hissed through her teeth, grasping the pegasus by the shoulder to keep her on the stool. “We don’t know nothin’ else! Braeburn and my uncle went after them already, but we don’t know where.”
“Well then let’s find them and kick Ahuitzotl’s butt already!” Rainbow replied, trying her best to keep her voice down.
“It’s not that simple, Rainbow,” Twilight joined in. “It’s not just Ahuitzotl we’re dealing with, here. We’re pretty certain that the bandit leader Braeburn put behind bars last year is behind all of this…”
The unicorn then went on to explain every last word that she, Applejack, Braeburn and Bullet Tyme had exchanged in Appleloosa. There were a few instances were Rainbow needed elaboration or reminders, but it didn’t take long for her to catch up.
“… And that’s why that curfew is being put into effect tomorrow, because of Sure Shot’s gang running amuck. It’s also why I’m up this late at night pouring myself into these history books. Evidently there’s something hidden in the pages of Cunning’s diary, but without somepony with a knack for deciphering hidden codes, I can’t figure out what it is. So I’m reading up on everything I can to see if I can find even a clue as to what it could be. Do you understand now?”
Applejack watched with a concerned look on her face as Rainbow Dash slumped atop her stool, leaning her elbows on the table with her head hung low. “Yeah, I get it. But at the same time, I can’t just sit here in Ponyville while my friend is in danger. Argghh, I feel so helpless!”
“We all do, Rainbow,” said Applejack softly, placing a warm hoof on her shoulder. “Honestly, standin’ ‘round while my family left has been eatin’ me up inside, but there ain’t nothin’ Ah can do to help either. Ah know it’s hard, but fer now the best we can do is wait fer our chance to help. Ah’m sure those two know what they’re doin’.”
“Are you sure about that?” asked Rainbow. “I mean, I know Braeburn and Bullet Tyme are awesome shooters or whatever, but are you sure they could take on a beast like Ahuitzotl?”
Applejack smirked proudly. “My cousin and my uncle may be stubborn and even a little foolhardy at times, but if there was ever a pair o’ earth ponies that could take a beast down, it would be them. Besides, Braeburn didn’t get that title just because o’ his heritage. Naw, Ah reckon with all things considered, he has every right to be called the Colt of the West.”
A few seconds of sobering silence hung over their table. Rainbow and Applejack returned to their late-night breakfast, while the unicorn kept her eyes on her book. After a moment or two, Twilight raised her head to take a brief glance at Rainbow Dash, throwing a hoof over her mouth again to keep from laughing hysterically. Applejack immediately found the source of her humor, starting to snicker as well.
“The bow thing?” she chuckled.
“The bow thing,” Twilight confirmed before the two doubled over in laughter while the pegasus scoffed, rolling her eyes.
It wasn’t long after the unicorn had left that the doors of the prison were thrown open once again. As expected, the tall, midnight blue form of Ahuitzotl trudged in, his scornful eyes locked on Daring Do from the other side of the enormous room. But when she expected the doors to be closed behind him, she was surprised to watch three ponies enter in his wake. Behind Sure Shot was a large black stallion, his bulky muscles rippling with every step. He had a short mane and tail of striking orange, similar to that of a blazing inferno. Behind the two stallions was a dark green earth mare. She was shorter than usual, but looked to be a few years older than Daring. She had cold, pale blue eyes, half-lidded in an apathetic expression. Her dull blonde mane and tail weren’t cut short, but looked as if she kept it at a certain length for practicality. Her swaying bangs dusted her brow, partially obscuring her left eye.
While Ahuitzotl was expectedly unarmed, all three ponies had one sort of weapon or another on their backs. The bulky stallion’s surprisingly-ornate blunderbuss hung lazily at his side, swinging precariously with every step. Atop his back was a parcel of some sort, wrapped in a beige fabric. He carried a black box with a small speaker by a handle in his teeth. On its side was a smaller box connected to its base by a coiled wire. The green mare, however, carried two completely different weapons. Across her back was a long-barreled bolt-action rifle, with a single wooden stock painted black. Sheathed at her hip was the exact opposite; what Daring knew to be a Mare’s Leg rifle. It was a lever-action like Braeburn’s Marechester, but with a short, octagonal barrel. The rear stock had been cut down as well, converting the rifle into a hoof-held weapon. The pegasus had only seen a Mare’s Leg rifle once before, for they were a rare breed. Judging by their choices of weaponry, Daring didn’t need to see their cutie marks to take a fair guess at their particular talents.
The four of them stopped halfway across the prison, all glaring at the pegasus in their own respective ways. Daring pushed aside the creeping sensation of fear rising up her spine at the sight of Ahuitzotl, trying not to flinch at the pure hatred in his eyes. He was crouched halfway, as if considering whether or not to pounce on his prey. The corners of his mouth twitched open and closed, revealing his gritted teeth. Sure Shot only confirmed her theory when he and his two bandits took position in front of him.
Daring Do chuckled, making sure it was loud enough for the feline beast to hear. “What’s wrong, Ahuitzotl? Did Mommy take away your playtime?”
The blue monster snarled, digging his claws into the stone floor. “Just you wait, you tiny mortal.”
“For what? For you to smack me around some more?” Daring shot back, her chide carried with a breeze of loathing. “Chuh, you need to come up with a better game, you simple-minded chimp.”
Ahuitzotl went to open his mouth to retort, but instantly went silent as Sure Shot lazily raised a hoof. He smirked casually, taking a few steps forward toward the bound pegasus. “As much as I enjoy such an intelligent back and forth, I’m going to have to move this conversation along toward something a little more… productive.”
“Where’s the party?” asked Daring quickly.
Sure Shot tilted his head slightly, opening his tired-looking eyes a bit more. “Excuse me?”
“Obviously you guys have somewhere you need to go with your things all packed up like that. It’s not like you need your weapons with me tied-up and a demi-god with a grudge standing behind you. So I’ll ask again: where are you all off to?”
The purple stallion found his sly grin yet again, taking a long blink. “Coincidentally, that brings me back to the topic I intended to discuss. You see, we’re growing tired of this humid place and it’s about time that we left. However, you know very well what we require in order to depart.”
Daring flinched inwardly, dread clawing at her brain. This was a tactic; a mere scheme to get her to talk when all else had failed. Time didn’t seem to ever be a factor to them before, so why was it now? The answer was simple, frighteningly so.
“So, in the midst of all this pain and melancholy you’ve been forced to live through for the past couple of nights, I’ll offer you a token of my appreciation,” Sure Shot continued, his animated tone growing darker with every word. “Tell us where your copy of Cunning the Colt’s diary is, and you will face no more pain, no more agony and most important of all; no more worry.”
This time, the pegasus couldn’t hold back the wince in her eye, her mouth growing dryer by the second. “Now why don’t I like how you worded that?”
“I can assure you that not a single one of my words has been untruthful in any way,” the bandit leader said, his voice as calm as ever.
For the briefest of moments, Daring had considered simply telling him everything about the diary, even the more complicated details that she had already figured out. But after what he said, there wasn’t a way she could have left the world knowing that a pony like Sure Shot would have the means to obtain a power like the one he was searching for.
“Well, I guess you lose then,” Daring exhaled, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips.
“Oh? Do I, now?”
“Yeah, you do,” Daring repeated, looking back up to the stallion. “It looks like you’ll just never know where I put it. Too bad, you were so close.”
But never did that insane, lopsided grin ever leave his face. Sure Shot snickered, throwing aside his matted bangs from his eyes. “I’m much closer than you think.”
The riflepony turned his head to the black stallion, giving him a covert gesture with a nod of his head. The large bandit smirked, as if he had been waiting for the signal. He reached his head back, biting down on the parcel on his back and dropping it in front of him. Whatever it was clanked against the stone beneath its wrapping, taking a moment to become still after impact.
“Are you absolutely sure that you don’t want to tell me?” said Sure Shot as the black stallion bit down on the end of the fabric, apparently waiting for another signal. “You may not wish to see what’s underneath that sheet.”
“You can show me anything you’d like. I’m still not telling you,” Daring stated, hoping that she wasn’t about to regret her decision.
Sure Shot sighed, almost sincerely. “Alright then. Go ahead, Gun Powder.”
The pony called Gun Powder grinned toothily, ripping the fabric away and immediately kicking its contents toward the pegasus. Daring Do scoffed inwardly upon viewing the item. It was nothing more than an old rifle; a Marechester, by the look of it. It was indeed rare to see such an older model in such pristine condition, save for a clean slice taken out of the forestock as well as the surface of the barrel. She tilted her head at the weapon, her eyes darting to the receiver as the torchlight flickered over the bluing. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight, her pupils constricting as horror washed over her exhausted mind.
It was an engraving, etched masterfully into the steel of the receiver. Delicate yet simple scrollwork curved lightly over the cartridge gate and around the edges. But in the center of the artwork was the source of her dread: an apple. Her eyes darted back to the front of the rifle, remembering just how the damage to the forestock had been done. Her heart kicked into overdrive, pumping blood faster and faster through her veins.
It all happened in slow motion; the impact, the blood, the sudden gasps of last breaths and then the horrific falls as two bodies went limp, hitting the ground with heavy thuds. It couldn’t have happened; there wasn’t a way in Equestria that such a kind pony could have done a terrible thing like that. The riflepony clung to the thought of the past few seconds being a part of some horrid nightmare. But when he opened his eyes, Braeburn Apple was forced to face the result of his actions.
Both stallions lay silent and unmoving on the ground ten yards away, their eyes half open and lifeless. Two pools of blood had started to form underneath their respective heads, staining the grass and dirt a sickening dark red. It would have been one thing to see a pair of corpses, even if the beige stallion was the one to reduce them to such a state, but seeing two matching holes struck directly through their temples was an entirely different issue. Braeburn only stood there crouched on his hindlegs, gaping in horror through the iron sights of his weapon. It only took a moment of frightening realization for him to be completely infected with what felt like a sickness; something dark and looming that terrorized his entire being. He felt tainted, as if his soul had been mixed with one of a serial killer.
Braeburn had never felt anything like this before, not even after throwing an injured pony off an airship and into the ocean miles away from land. There was no confrontation here; he hadn’t even been sighted. It was nothing more than cold-blooded murder.
“Come on, Braeburn,” came his father’s voice, barely heard to the shaking stallion. “We gotta get movin’. We gotta save Daring Do.”
The riflepony slowly sheathed his weapon, fighting to control his quivering limbs. “R-Right.”
Braeburn forced his eyes away from the bodies of the two bandits as he jumped over the bushes and out into the clearing. As he approached the ruin, Day Break landed somewhere off to his right. He heard no words from her, nor his father behind him. He was thankful, for nothing they could say would have done any good for his racing mind. Braeburn found himself in the lead as he walked between the corpses, careful to avoid stepping in their pooling blood before crossing the open threshold of the stone structure.
The moon’s light did not reach any part of the inside, but a flickering, orange glow deep down seemed to just barely illuminate what was ahead. What could have only been assumed to be a torch lit the edges of a descending stairwell, leading what looked like several stories underground. Braeburn took a deep breath before carefully walking down the steps, finding them to be narrow and steep. They made a point of being cautious while still in a hurry as the three of them descended the odd stairs. The sound of their hooves echoed throughout the wide stairwell, only accompanied by Braeburn’s heavy breathing. It was immensely difficult not to dwell on his actions, but he found that keeping his thoughts focused on Daring encouraged him to keep moving.
The source of the orange glow came into view as they descended to the smooth, stone floor. As expected, the light came from a torch bracketed to the wall on the left, its flame licking at the surprisingly high ceiling. Ahead was a long hallway, twice the width of the stairwell they entered from. The walls were lined with several more evenly spaced torches, illuminating the area enough for Braeburn to wince his eyes in momentary discomfort. At the end of the long hall, he could just barely make out two other tunnels; one leading to the right, and one to the left.
“Wow… Daring said this place was big, but I didn’t think the tunnels alone would be this large,” whispered Day Break, soft enough for her voice to avoid echoing.
“Whatever ya’ do, Day Break, just make sure ya’ keep behind us. Bad enough yer down here in the first place,” said Bullet Tyme, his voice hushed as well. However, it seemed as though their whispers were for naught.
Braeburn cringed as he heard the far-off echo of quickened hoofsteps, growing louder with every passing millisecond. It was coming from one of the two hallways ahead, but he wasn’t sure which one. Braeburn felt a hoof nudge his shoulder, finding it to be his father attempting to grab his attention. He made a silent gesture with his own gun, as if he were loading the tubular magazine. The beige stallion took the hint, hurriedly shoving a hoof into his satchel to withdraw two cartridges. He balanced them on the bottom of his hoof, shoving them through the cartridge gate of his brass rifle. It was indeed wise to keep his weapon full to capacity whenever they weren’t firing. In a brief moment, Braeburn took a mental note of his weapons and their ammunition.
Both of his rifles were filled to capacity, with different amounts due to the vastly-different sizes of the cartridges. Thumper’s magazine could only hold six rounds of .30-30 ammunition, but would cause more damage and be more accurate at a longer range. The brass rifle, on the other hoof, could hold ten rounds of the smaller .45 Colt. All around it was much easier to use it as a primary tool with Thumper as a secondary. In the back of his mind, he recalled the extremely limited supply of last-ditch ammunition he also carried.
Braeburn felt the pegasus mare take a step backward, placing herself directly behind both stallions. Her breath was silent, along with everything else save for the galloping hooffalls that were increasing in volume. Both rifleponies crouched onto their hindhooves, their weapons raised and their eyes focused. They had to work quickly, for it wouldn’t be long until more gunshots were heard throughout the tunnels. Braeburn’s horrid actions from only a few moments ago felt like taking a lollipop from a foal in comparison to what he knew he was about to face.
“It came from down there! The entrance!” growled a deep voice from the hall on the left.
“Just remember one thing, Braeburn,” Bullet Tyme whispered. “These ponies threw their lives away when they accepted Sure Shot as their leader. Not a single one of ‘em deserves one ounce o’ mercy. Take ‘em down, but don’t lose yer focus.”
“Don’t worry,” Braeburn said aloud, all emotion lost from his face. “Ah’m all outta mercy.”
Two ponies rolled into view, quick enough to catch more than most off-guard. Their weapons were drawn, snapping to attention toward the intruders. But unfortunately for them, Braeburn and Bullet’s rifles were already engaged. The father and son fired, the sound of the massive .45-90 round bellowing throughout the tunnel. The two stallions dropped mid-roll, their lives taken in the blink of an eye. The second they hit the floor, the three intruders bolted forward. Braeburn and Bullet Tyme kept their rifles in their jaws, biting down on the forestocks. Day Break took to the air behind them, only flapping her wings occasionally to maintain her speed.
“Daring didn’t say much about the inside of this place,” she started, not bothering to whisper anymore. “All she mentioned was that Ahuitzotl’s holding cell is huge.”
Unable to speak coherently, Braeburn merely nodded to show his acknowledgement. They came to the end of the tunnel, and the beige earth pony led them down the left hallway.
“You sure you wanna go this way? I mean, this is where those two came from,” she said worriedly.
“Thaff’s feh foint!” Braeburn replied, speaking through the obstruction in his mouth. Day Break thought for a moment, nodding once she grasped his meaning.
“Oh... Fantastic,” Day Break said, sighing on the last word.
Braeburn led his father and the pegasus around the bend, panting heavily as fatigue started to take its toll from lack of proper sleep. As he turned the corner into the next hallway, he was met with a bright flash of azure light. A sharp gasp escaped his lips as his body was thrown through the air. The wind was forced from his lungs in one painful instance as his back made impact with the far wall. He clamped his eyes shut and his teeth gritted, his ears folding back. His duster hung low below him, along with his tail. A tingling sensation flowed throughout his body, something strange and foreign forced his legs apart, pressing him against the wall. Braeburn’s eyes flickered open, widening once they focused on the scene in front of him.
All four of his hooves were enveloped in separate auras of green magic, securing him in a spread-eagle position. In his peripheral vision, he found his father pointing his rifle down the hall, supposedly at Braeburn’s attacker. However, the beige stallion was more concerned at what was directly in his face. His eyes focused on the end of a gun barrel inches from his nose. He cocked his head back out of reflex, noticing only one buttstock behind his shoulders. He looked down the outside of the gun to see the reflective brass of his own weapon, scowling at his carelessness.
“Put him down!” Bullet demanded, racking the action of his rifle.
“Put your gun down or I will shoot your son with his own weapon,” said the unicorn, his retort loud but shaking. Braeburn looked around the rifle to find a familiar face, one he hadn’t seen since the explosion in Appleloosa.
The unicorn stallion had a coat of light blue, and a mane of vibrant teal. His bright yellow eyes were wide and his brow was furrowed, but his angry grimace couldn’t hide what Braeburn spotted. His small frame was shaking violently, like a frightened colt alone in a dark alley. His left cheek twitched occasionally, his eyes fixated on Braeburn. The earth pony noticed what looked like a small radio slung over his shoulder, hanging at his side.
“Boy, don’t think Ah won’t blow yer head off right now,” Bullet growled, his hoof wrapped tightly around the trigger.
The unicorn bared his teeth, the corners of his mouth twitching between a toothy grin and a scowl, as if he didn’t know how to feel about the situation. The aura of his horn flashed, and the lever of the brass rifle racked a new round into the chamber. “Step away.”
“S’alright, Pa. You can put that down fer now,” said Braeburn. Bullet Tyme cringed, flashing a glance to his son.
“The hay are ya’ talkin’ ‘bout?” the older stallion snapped, tightening his grip on his Marechester.
“Sure Shot wants me on his side, right? This pony won’t shoot me voluntarily, but he might flinch if you do,” Braeburn explained. As soon as he finished his sentence, the barrel of his rifle was shoved against his brow.
“Don’t th-think I won’t!” the cyan unicorn stammered, his forelegs quivering with evident anxiety. He grimaced as a pale blue spark erupted from his horn, floating gently down to the stone floor. Feeling curious, Braeburn attempted to move his right forehoof. His assumption had been confirmed as he found himself able to work against the unicorn’s holding spell, as if a pony around his size was simply wrestling his hoof back.
After coming this far, Braeburn couldn’t believe that he had forgotten about the unicorn working for Sure Shot. Something erupted in the pit of his stomach, roaring and tearing at his insides. All of his fear, all of his anguish and all of his hate boiled in his chest. There was no way he was going to get this far only to be captured by this small, insignificant colt. The unicorn was afraid, and Braeburn was going to take complete advantage of that.
“You, unicorn,” he growled, his eyes closed. “Are you the only one o’ yer kind here?”
“Wh-Why would I answer that?” the cyan pony’s quivering voice replied, causing an insane grin to spread across the riflepony’s face.
Braeburn bared his gritted teeth, opening his eyes wide. “So that’s a ‘yes.’ Heh… perfect.”
“Boy, what’re ya’ plannin’ here?” Bullet asked, only to be ignored by his son.
Braeburn shoved his forehead against the barrel of his own rifle, looking directly at the unicorn. “If ya’ think ya’ have what it takes to shoot me, Ah’d recommend that ya’ do it right now.”
“B-Brae… what are you doing?” Day Break asked desperately, a trace of fear in her voice.
“Pa, just make sure ya’ don’t shoot him.”
The beige earth pony took in a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly before unleashing everything he had. Braeburn flexed his shoulders, pushing all four of his legs against the magic binds around his hooves. To his elation, the blue auras gave a few inches before pushing back. Sparks erupted from the unicorn’s horn as he fought back, wincing an eye with a pained grimace across his face. Braeburn braced his shoulder blades and spine against the stone wall, grunting with effort. He ignored the confused glances from his father and the pegasus mare, keeping his eyes delved into his opponent’s.
“St-Stop! I’m warning you!” the unicorn barked, taking a step back with a forehoof raised.
Braeburn watched the aura around his rifle flicker, his confidence building. His felt his hooves lift from the stone, his muscles burning from the strain. A high-pitched wail filled the hallway, the unicorn’s magic waning and tiring. With a final roar bellowing from his throat, Braeburn snapped his muscles into overdrive, throwing his legs forward.
A flare of pale blue light flickered from the cyan pony’s horn as the magic bonds broke, allowing Braeburn to fall back to the floor. The unicorn recoiled violently, as if he had been struck with a heavy hoof to the forehead. The riflepony gave him no time to recover, grabbing his weapon from the weakened hold of the magic aura with his teeth, bolting forward. Before the unicorn knew it, he was tackled by the earth pony, skidding across the floor on his back. Braeburn stomped on his chest with a hindhoof, pressing him to the stone before striking his cheek with the buttstock of his weapon. With a rumbling growl, he then shoved the barrel of his rifle into the cyan stallion’s neck, his hoof tight around the trigger.
“WHERE IS SHE?!”
“N-No…” she whispered, a cold bead of sweat trailing down her cheek. “This isn’t… this couldn’t be…”
“Ahh… But alas, it is,” Sure Shot confirmed, approaching the pegasus slowly and calmly. “It was indeed difficult, but numbers always win wars, I guess.”
Daring gritted her teeth, baring them in a vicious snarl as her dreary mind awoke, her soul roaring to life for the first time in over a year. She looked up at the purple stallion, glaring with an enormous amount of hate. “What did you do to him?!”
“Nothing, yet,” he answered, stopping a few hooves in front of the pegasus, looking down on her with a malicious smile. “But it seems that he was very eager to save you, only to be captured. Such a sad tale this could become. That is, if you still wish to be defiant.”
The dark mare scowled, seething through her teeth. Never before had she wanted to strike back as much as that moment; to make him pay for what he had done. Before it was just her life in danger, but now it was also the pony she cared for the most. “You low-life scum…” she growled, her hooves pushing viciously against their bonds.
“Now, now. Your opinion of me isn’t going to change the situation you’ve put yourself into,” said Sure Shot. “If you would have just told me in the very beginning of this mess, you and your little friend would have lived. Unfortunately, you have forced me to take this horrid action. I’m not exactly proud of this decision, you know.”
In the background, Gun Powder and the green mare exchanged an unseen look, while Ahuitzotl merely grinned toothily at the peril his nemesis was facing. Daring’s insides boiled with rage, wishing to lash out at all of them, even if she were to die in the process.
“I must admit, I did not foresee such a dramatic change of face from you because of this,” Sure Shot continued. “You must truly care for him. A part of me wishes to point out the irony of the circumstances. It is just too bad.”
“Fine!”
“Excuse me?”
“Fine, alright? I’ll tell you where the book is!” Daring yelled, her scornful voice echoing off the walls. “But you better let him go the second I tell you, and anypony he might have come here with.”
If the riflepony wasn’t grinning before, he certainly was now. Sure Shot hummed a small chuckle, giving her a short nod. “But of course. Now, go ahead and tell-”
A sharp wail resounded in the large room, effectively silencing the purple stallion and temporarily deafening everypony in the room. Daring’s ears folded back on reflex, her eyes scanning the room for the source of the odd shriek. She looked up to find Gun Powder at the end of a frightened leap away from the black box he had carried in. Before anypony could make a sound, a voice emanated from the radio.
“Sir, are you there?”
Sure Shot flicked his head to the ceiling, rolling his eyes with a long sigh of annoyance. With a crack of his neck, the riflepony turned around and returned to his followers’ side, glaring at the radio. He wrapped his hoof around the microphone, lifting it to his mouth. “You’d better have a good reason for this, Sparks.”
“Yes, I think somepony… wait…” the voice replied, trailing off before becoming eerily quiet.
A few moments of silence went by while Daring merely hung her head, staring unfocused on the floor. Her eyelids drooped low, almost completely closed. Her monochromatic bangs obscured her eyes, veiling her from the world. She paid no attention to the odd transmission, deeming it nothing more than a miscommunication of some sort. Her anger quickly fizzled out into a dark melancholy, berating herself for what she was about to do. She prayed to Celestia that Braeburn was okay, but ultimately could not feel happy that his presence was near. In any other situation, Daring would have been beyond overjoyed to simply be near him. But with his and her well-being in question, she couldn’t bring herself to be happy about her decision. For all she knew, Braeburn was dead on the side of a road somewhere.
Daring scowled at herself as her eyes burned with the threat of tears, sniffing reflexively. She sat there for what seemed like an hour as the hushed voices of her foes echoed on the edge of her hearing. The pegasus paid no attention to the lack of feeling in her shoulders and forehooves, but merely slumped forward, allowing every bit of self-loathing to eat away at her insides. Once again, she had endangered the lives of her closest friends with her pointless adventuring. It was indeed her line of work, but this trip hadn’t been that of archaeology. She had been forced to come here, and never expected the string of events that had occurred. But still she felt a sickening pool of guilt boil in the pit of her stomach. She mourned for the assumed deaths of the Keepers, feeling a significant lack of anger in her depression.
“Should we try contacting him again?” said a low, vaguely female voice. Daring guessed it to be that of the green earth mare, being the only other female in the room.
“It seems to be a simple accident, nothing to worry about, Sure Shot,” came Ahuitzotl’s growling voice.
“I am nothing if I’m not thorough,” said Sure Shot.
Daring then heard the click of the microphone’s transmitter button. But before he could respond over the radio, another voice bellowed through the speaker, one that shook every fiber of Daring Do’s being. It was loud, loathing and utterly familiar.
“WHERE IS SHE?!”
Daring’s magenta eyes brightened, slowly widening to their maximum capacity. Her lips parted as she sucked in a short, breathless gasp. The fur on the back of her neck stood on end as a ray of light shined brightly in the darkness of her heart. Something attracted her eye to the rifle lying abandoned on the floor in front of her. Her gaze traversed the old Marechester, looking for any inconsistency in comparison to her memory. It took a moment or two, but she felt her eye twitch when she found it.
She remembered exactly how Braeburn’s rifle was scarred from a flying blade deep in Cunning the Colt’s tomb. She could recall every last detail, right down to how he had blocked the trap. Braeburn had reflected the blade with the left side of his Marechester. This one, however, was scarred on the same side as the cartridge gate… the right side. This rifle was a fake.
This rifle wasn’t Thumper.
Braeburn’s roar struck visible fear into the unicorn’s eyes, causing him to flinch in response. The earth pony seethed, gritting his teeth and doing all that he could not to sever the pony’s neck with a slew of bullets. A round was loaded and the hammer was engaged. All it would take was a mere twitch of his hoof for the lightened trigger to pull, and at that moment, Braeburn was not above making such a mistake.
“A-Assuming that she’s s-still alive,” the blue stallion grunted, his entire body trembling.
“You’d better hope to Celestia that she is,” Braeburn snarled, his hooves threatening to tremble with fury. “Because yer gonna get on yer hooves and bring us to her.”
“And have Sure Shot kill me? I don’t-”
“Ah won’t just kill you myself if ya’ don’t show us the way; Ah’ll make ya’ suffer first,” the riflepony growled, hatred dripping from his lips.
“You don’t understand-”
“Oh, Ah understand,” Braeburn interrupted, unwilling to listen to any excuses. “Anypony can tell how scared ya’ are to be here. That, and the fact that Ah need yer help are the reasons why yer still breathing. If ya’ help us, Ah won’t end yer life.”
“Yeah, but then Sure-”
“Ah’m giving you a choice! Be thankful fer that!” Braeburn hollered, pressing the rifle further into his throat, something he was becoming uncomfortably familiar with. “Either die now, or take a chance and fight with us!”
“Braeburn, think about this!” came Bullet Tyme’s voice from behind. “Who says this low-life won’t kill any o’ us in our sleep?”
“Because he doesn’t wanna follow Sure Shot,” the riflepony answered simply, keeping his eyes locked with the unicorn’s. “Do ya’?”
“It was a choice I was forced to make, yes,” the cyan pony admitted, his brow furrowed. “You and that mare… you’re both just detectives or something, aren’t you?”
Braeburn winced at that, slowly taking his hindhoof away from the unicorn’s chest, stepping back to let him stand while he cradled his weapon in his foreleg. The cyan pony tentatively stood to his hooves, cracking his neck but never taking his eyes away from Braeburn, as if to gauge him on some level. The riflepony stared back, not giving him any ground.
“You’re being serious…” the unicorn asked, his face stern but his eyes pleading. “You would actually… trust me?”
“Trust’ll come when ya’ earn it,” Braeburn remarked, opening his mouth to continue when his father stepped over, pulling him aside. Day Break flew over, joining the huddle. “What?”
“What d’ya mean, ‘what?’” his father retorted, his voice low. “Yer just gonna team up with a pony that just two seconds ago tried to kill ya’?”
“It’s not exactly my place to say here, but I agree with your dad, Braeburn,” whispered Day Break. “How do you know he won’t try to kill you again?”
“Because he didn’t try to kill me in the first place,” said Braeburn, not bothering to lower his voice. Instead, he kept his eyes on the unicorn; his words directed more to him than the pegasus. “There’s enough good in him fer me to give him a chance.”
The riflepony stepped past his father and Day Break, who only stood wordless in the background. He approached the unicorn, who seemed to have trouble looking him in the eye at the moment. Braeburn raised his chin, looking down on the shorter stallion with a level expression. “Now, where’s Daring Do?”
The cyan pony immediately gestured to the wall behind him with a nod of his head. “That’s the rear wall of the prison. But right now Sure Shot and his two most skilled followers are in there, along with Ahuitzotl. That pegasus has always situated herself about five yards from this wall on the other side.”
“Alright, then blow it down,” Braeburn said simply, turning around to approach the opposing wall. He stepped between his father and Day Break, ignoring their looks of shock.
“Did you not just hear me?” the unicorn said hotly. “There’s a highly-skilled killer and a demi-god in there!”
“We’re here to save Daring. If we have to fight to get out with everypony alive, then we will,” the golden stallion answered, bending his knees and scraping a forehoof on the stone floor like a bull ready to charge.
“But that wall is at least a meter thick!” the unicorn objected.
“So does that mean ya’ can’t do it?” asked Braeburn, stretching his neck and flicking his tail.
“Well… no. It’s just gonna take a lot out of me, as well as some time.”
“Wait, hold on,” Day Break chimed in, waving a cautionary hoof. “If Daring is where you say she is in there, won’t the debris from you blowing down the wall hit her?”
“Not necessarily,” said the cyan stallion. “I would just have to be careful and only clear out a hole large enough for us to get through. Regardless, I can control the blast and avoid hitting Daring Do.”
“That won’t be good enough,” said Braeburn. “Blow in as much as ya’ can, with as much force as ya’ can. Make a mess of it. Send the stone flying in all directions. Ah want this to be as much of a shock to Sure Shot as we can make it.”
“Taking advantage of the element of surprise? I like that,” the unicorn agreed, nodding. He turned to face the wall, at the center of the hallway. He lowered his head, closing his eyes in concentration as his horn blazed to light.
“Now hold it, Braeburn,” Bullet Tyme interjected, approaching Braeburn once again. “What exactly is yer plan here?”
An azure glow enveloped a large section of the opposing wall again, at about three meters wide, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. At that sight, Braeburn’s heart rate increased dramatically, adrenaline reigniting in his veins.
“The second that wall goes, Ah’m goin’ in and raisin’ heck,” he started, keeping his eyes on the light piercing though the large stone bricks. “Day Break; you go in after me, scoop up Daring and get outta there. Pa; you go in once Daring is outta harm’s way and help me.”
“Braeburn, that’s the most foolhardy plan Ah’ve ever heard!” the older stallion exclaimed, utterly appalled. “You’ll get yerself killed in there! And Ah’m not about to lose my only son over somethin’ so reckless!”
“Ah know, and ya’ won’t.”
“This ain’t gonna work, boy!” his father hollered right next to his face, desperation lacing his words. “Ah’m not lettin’ ya’ do this-”
“Father!” Braeburn yelled right back. He finally looked at Bullet Tyme, who recoiled at what his son had called him. “Ah’m not a foal no more, alright! Ah’m a grown stallion, and Ah’m not just gonna stand by while the mare Ah can’t stop thinkin’ about is in danger! This is what Ah’m gonna do. If Ah die tryin’, then the least Ah can do is save her. We didn’t come this far just to stop and backpedal. If you don’t wanna help, fine. Either way, Pa, Ah’m doin’ this. Ain’t nothin’ you can do to stop me.”
To Braeburn’s left, Bullet Tyme took a moment before letting out a long sigh. “You fool. You dumb, hard-headed fool.”
“Yup. That’s me.”
“Then Ah guess yer gonna need my help,” Bullet said, drawing his rifle once more, cradling it in a foreleg. “’Cause Ah ain’t letting ya’ do this without cover fire.”
“And you know I’m not leaving,” said Day Break, walking around to stand on Braeburn’s right. She took a similar starting position, flaring her wings toward the ceiling with a large grin.
For the first time that day, Braeburn found a sincere smile raise the corners of his mouth. The riflepony nodded, crouching low in preparation as the unicorn grunted with effort ahead. With a sharp crack, the wall split down the middle, a fraction of a second from being completely demolished. The cyan pony growled, his voice rising into a full roar as his blue aura flared.
Braeburn Apple dug his hindhooves into the floor, and launched himself forward.
“Well, it seems that we have an uninvited party guest,” said Sure Shot, his previous calm demeanor tearing at the seams. Daring looked up through her elation, finding the purple stallion nearly seething through his teeth. Gun Powder and the green mare stared at their superior with questioning looks, as if to seek direction.
“Alright, I’ll be the one to ask,” growled Ahuitzotl, his tail waving back and forth, the hand at its end curling into a fist. “Just who was that, Sure Shot?”
The purple earth pony closed his eyes, an odd grin spreading across his face. He placed a hoof over his eyes, chuckling softly. “Well, I do have a guess, but it is indeed a long shot,” he said, taking his hoof away to wrap it around his other foreleg.
On the other end of the room, Daring Do was barely listening to the conversation. Her entire body was shaking from head to hoof, her ears perked straight into the air. She couldn’t breathe nor blink, but merely quivered on the spot.
“Alright, I guess it’s time, then!” exclaimed Sure Shot out of nowhere, finally catching Daring’s attention. The purple stallion started toward her at a quick trot, unsheathing his rifle with his teeth. He had an insane look in his eye, causing the pegasus to flinch and scoot herself away on her haunches. However, Sure Shot stopped dead in his tracks.
A low rumble resounded throughout the walls, sending a high frequency of vibrations through the floor. Before she could ask herself anything, Daring noticed a faint shadow of herself appear on the floor. She turned her head, uttering a short gasp as her vision was filled with a bright, azure light emanating from the wall behind her. Her shaking increased in frequency as a high-pitched wail resounded throughout the room, forcing Daring’s ears down. Goosebumps formed underneath her fur, waiting only a moment to see what would happen.
There was a blinding flash, followed by the deafening roar of detonation. Large blocks of stone flew outward, a cloud of dust and debris billowing around the mare as she was struck with a blast of air. She clamped her eyes shut, her mane blowing wildly in the wind. Her ears rang from the pressure, just barely able to hear Sure Shot and his allies shouting in alarm. She cracked her eyes open again to find herself lying down on her side, facing a gaping hole in the previously solid wall. Through the dust, she saw nothing but darkness, but was able to pick up the sound of galloping hooves. Her vision was blurry from the blast, seeing two of everything, including a dark brown and tan blur charging toward her.
Daring Do gasped in fright, sitting back up to her haunches in a feeble attempt to move. However, her fatigued body refused to move on command, and merely sat there gaping at whatever was approaching her. As the blur came closer, vague details started to come into view. It was a pony with a coat of dull gold, wearing some sort of dark, billowing garments. Time seemed to slow down as a thought came to the pegasus’ mind, one that send a jolt of electricity through her skull. The pony crouched low in the middle of his gallop, launching himself directly over Daring Do in a horizontal flip. The shocked mare watched his trajectory with wide eyes, picking up the finer details as her vision quickly returned, along with a rush of pure emotion upon identifying the pony.
He was tall and lean, his lustrous mane and tail two shades of blonde. Atop his head was a dark brown Stetson, matching the long duster around his torso, billowing behind him. A coiled lasso hung loosely from his neck, ready to be lashed out at any foe. Strapped to his back were two crossed rifles, Thumper’s ancient rear stock peeking from behind his shoulder. His bright, emerald eyes were alight with an indescribable fury, their pupils shrunken down to mere pinpricks. It was him, the stallion that made Daring’s heart race; the pony that changed her entire outlook on life; the only being capable of inciting a true smile on her face.
In the apex of his arch, Braeburn Apple tore one of his rifles from its scabbard, bellowing a challenging roar as he landed on Daring’s other side at a sideways skid across the stone, disappearing through the cloud of gray dust. Before Daring could say a word, a flash of bright yellow appeared before her, accented with two shades of burning crimson. To her utter astonishment, it was a pegasus mare she knew all too well. Day Break circled around the monochromatic mare, stopping dead in front of her in a crouch with all four of her legs bent low. Daring felt another gasp of shock escape her lips as she was tackled by her friend, carrying her backwards through the air at a blinding speed. Before she knew it, they were through the hole in the stone wall, stopping in the middle of a dimly-lit hallway. The archaeologist’s back hit another wall, slumped against it on the floor.
The yellow pegasus let her go, sitting her up straight by the shoulders. Her ruby eyes were glazed over with a threat of tears, looking her over with an immense amount of concern. “Daring, are you hurt? Oh geeze, they freaking tied you with steel cable? Don’t they know forelegs don’t bend that way? Hey! Are you okay?!”
Daring only stared at Day Break, her lips parted and gaping. She panted slightly, her mind racing with varying incoherent thoughts. “D-Day Break…? Was that… Did B-Braeburn just go in there?!” she stammered as her heart pounded against her chest with worry. “Doesn’t he know who’s in there?! We have to get him out!”
“He ain’t goin’ alone!” said a slightly familiar voice. Daring looked to her right to find an older stallion she remembered to be Braeburn’s father. “You three just sit tight! We’ll be back!”
With that, Bullet Tyme galloped out of the hallway and into the cloud of dust, leaving Daring utterly speechless. She then vaguely recalled what he had said, wondering how he counted three ponies. She didn’t have to look long to find yet another familiar face.
The cyan unicorn she had come to know was panting heavily to her left, slouched over with exhaustion. Sweat poured down his face, his yellow eyes focused on the dark yellow pegasus. Daring lifted her head slightly, feeling the ghost of a smile appear on her dumbstruck face.
“When you said you had connections…” he panted. “… You better not… have been lying…”
Never before had his heart pumped so vigorously against his chest. Never before had his mind been so alight with adrenaline. Never before had he put his life in such perilous danger. Never before had he felt so purposeful, as if his actions were about to define the outcome of this war.
Braeburn Apple landed on the other side of a pony, keeping his focus ahead and on his objective. The stallion prayed that it wasn’t a hostile, but the mare they had come to save. He held his breath as he slid through a thick, opaque cloud of dust. His momentum carried the earth stallion far in his skid, racking the action of his brass rifle. Through the veil of debris, he was able to spot the orange glow of several torches illuminating the prison. Judging by the faintness of some of the lights, the room was evidently large.
Before he knew it, Braeburn emerged on the other side of the cloud, facing an enormous midnight blue blur hurtling toward him. All he saw were long, razor-sharp claws raining down upon him from above, along with a pair of fierce, pale green greens. The riflepony acted upon pure reaction, driving his right hindhoof into the floor and throwing himself to the left and out of the way. Braeburn tumbled across the stone, ending his roll in a crouch to find what he could only confirm to be Ahuitzotl. In his adrenaline, the finer details couldn’t be taken in. All his eyes found were a tall, muscular beast with a long head and bared teeth.
Ahuitzotl quickly recovered, turning on a paw to lash out again at the riflepony. However, Braeburn had already lined his sights and unleashed a lightning-fast three-round burst directly into the monster’s chest. Ahuitzotl faltered in his attack, quickly sidestepping into the gray cloud. Keeping his awareness around the prison, Braeburn turned his weapon to the other side of the massive room. To his left was a large black stallion he immediately recognized, galloping at full bore with a blunderbuss in his teeth. He had no time to stop Gun Powder in his tracks with his rifle, and immediately thought of a familiar route to take him down.
Braeburn rolled out of the way, sheathing his rifle at the end of the evasion. He quickly bit down on the free end of his lasso, ripping the rest of it from his neck. With a snap of his head, the beige stallion whipped the loop of his rope outward, yanking it tight as the lasso wrapped around his foe’s thick shoulders. As he had expected, Gun Powder wasn’t about to allow himself to be captured so easily. The bulky earth pony braced his legs and yanked back with staggering force, more than enough to throw Braeburn bodily through the air. His trajectory led high above Gun Powder, who directed the riflepony in an arch from below. Braeburn braced himself, landing directly on his hooves with a resounding thud. Before he made impact with the floor, he used his momentum as a boost of strength, yanking back on the rope with all of his might. The black stallion was forcibly torn from the ground, finding himself in the same circumstance that he had previously put Braeburn through.
From the floor, the riflepony rolled onto his back, unsheathing Thumper and aiming at the flying form of Gun Powder. He racked a long .30-.30 cartridge into the chamber, pulling the trigger with zero regard for the bandit’s life. With an echoing shot, the round made impact with the black stallion’s chest in the apex of his arch. He tumbled across with stone with heavy thumps, sending small shocks through the floor. Satisfied with his work, Braeburn rolled to his hooves and took a look ahead. At the other side of the room, he found two earth ponies. One was a purple stallion, standing behind a green mare pointing a short lever-action rifle right in the riflepony’s direction.
Before he could react, Braeburn heard Sure Shot give the bandit an order: “Immobilize, don’t kill.”
The beige stallion went to sidestep the shot, but found it intercepted in a flash of sparks in the middle of the room. In his peripheral vision, Braeburn watched his father burst through the dying cloud of dust, racking a new round into his rifle. But what Bullet Tyme didn’t see was the four-meter tall form of Ahuitzotl, his enormous jaws wide and descending upon the older stallion. There was no time to call a word of warning; no time to push him out of the way. Instead, Braeburn took action.
The riflepony aimed Thumper directly for the beast’s massive skull, firing two heavy shots, the weapon bucking his shoulder relentlessly. Two flashes of dark red erupted from Ahuitzotl’s head, the force of the impacts throwing his skull into the wall to Bullet Tyme’s right. The blue demi-god faltered once again, his furious eyes now focusing on Braeburn. He had a brief moment of frozen panic as Ahuitzotl bolted toward him in a vengeful rage. On the other side of the cathedral-sized room, Sure Shot and the green riflemare were about to engage his father in an open field. Braeburn had to help his father, but couldn’t do so with a demi-god bent on his demise. It seemed impossible, but even Thumper’s heavy rounds had next to no effect on the beast. Somehow, he doubted even his father’s massive .45-90 bullets would do much more damage. Braeburn could only pray that his last-ditch attempt would at least slow the feline beast down.
Braeburn sheathed his rifle and galloped at full speed toward Sure Shot and the green mare. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ahuitzotl making a hard turn in his direction, feeling the stone underhoof shake as the monster leaped toward him. The riflepony drove his forehooves into the floor, ceasing his gallop and jumping backward, keeping his head low as Ahuitzotl leaped directly over him. The large blue creature skidded to a halt in front of his allies, interrupting the firefight just as Braeburn intended. The stallion rolled to his hindhooves once again, ripping the brass rifle from its sheath to spin it around his hoof. In one smooth motion, a smoldering .45 Colt shell flew from the top of the receiver, and the riflepony caught the forestock in his free hoof. Before he closed the action, Braeburn grabbed a hold of the sliding lever on the side of the gun and yanked it back forcibly. He watched the carrier revolve vertically and slide backward, a reflective crimson cartridge ready to be loaded into the chamber. To his surprise, the front of the brass side plates jutted outward, pointed forward at an angle. With a grunt, he slammed the action shut, taking aim at the demi-god. He had no idea what would happen, but hoped it would be enough to take Ahuitzotl down. Braeburn roared with a divine level of hate and pulled the trigger.
There was a flash, just bright enough to make the riflepony squint his eyes before the wrath of the .45 Dragon’s Breath was unleashed. The barrel of the rifle erupted with a lance of orange flame, embers spreading wide around it. The maelstrom of fire lashed outward, making contact with Ahuitzotl’s evading form. The beast let out a high-pitched wail of agony as his long tail erupted into a blazing torrent of flame. Upon firing the round, twin jets of hot pressure billowed out of the opening the side plates had created. Everypony stopped and abandoned their positions instantly, leaping out of the way of the thrashing beast. Ahuitzotl tumbled to the floor, rolling across the stone in a blind fury as his tail was incinerated in the blink of an eye. Braeburn was forced to his haunches after the blast, the force of the recoil driving him to the floor. He held his bruised shoulder with a grimace, fighting through the pain. He watched for a moment in complete awe of what Gunmetal Grey’s work was capable of, along with the three other ponies in the room.
Ahuitzotl writhed on his back, opening his maw to its fullest extent to unleash a torrent of howling wails. His long tail was no more, leaving behind a charred, smoldering stump at the end of his spine. Braeburn quickly tore his gaze away from the creature, turning his focus onto the bandit leader across the room. Sure Shot had his eyebrows raised in a vaguely-impressed expression. He pursed his lips, nodding almost respectfully. The green mare kept her apathetic gaze fixed on Braeburn, who finally stood to his hindhooves once again, taking aim at the two of them along with his father. He pushed the sliding lever forward to its original position, and loaded a .45 Colt round into the chamber. The side plates on the receiver closed again with a light clanking sound, no longer needed to relieve any pressure. In his peripheral vision, Ahuitzotl returned to a standing position, his furious eyes looking between Braeburn and Sure Shot. It was clear that he was hesitant to let the purple stallion die, so he remained stationary and merely clawed at the stone floor and ground his teeth.
“You okay there, big guy?” asked Sure Shot plainly.
“Sure Shot, let me kill him,” Ahuitzotl growled, his eyes twitching with evident rage.
“Oh, I can’t have you do that,” said the purple stallion. “You kill him, then I kill you. Nopony wins there.”
“He took my tail!” the beast roared, hissing viciously at the end of his sentence. The bandit leader rolled his eyes, ignoring Ahuitzotl and looking back to Braeburn.
“Well… it looks like you’ve gained some unusual firepower since our last meeting, Colt of the West,” Sure Shot sneered, a small grin forming on his face. “And you as well, Bullet Tyme. Oh, it has been too long since we last met. How have you been?”
“This ends now, Sure Shot,” Braeburn called across the room, keeping his iron sights between the purple stallion’s eyes. “Surrender or die.”
“I apologize, but I won’t be able to make either of those decisions,” Sure Shot replied confidently, as if Braeburn hadn’t just unleashed a blazing inferno that floored a demi-god. “And wouldn’t you know it. Not only did you bring yourself to take the lives of others including one of my favorite rifleponies, but you also turned one of my best. I do hope you know that he will be killed for his treachery.”
“Ah can guarantee one thing,” Braeburn started. “If he is killed, it won’t be by your guns.”
The riflepony realigned the iron sights of his weapon, and cycled three more rounds at the bandit leader. In the blink of an eye, Sure Shot unsheathed his rifle and immediately deflected the shots, a flurry of sparks igniting between them. While the purple stallion was distracted, Bullet Tyme fired a single shot from his veritable cannon of a weapon, only to be deflected by an unseen shot. Braeburn’s eyes flew open as he saw the green earth pony holding her Mare’s Leg rifle up, smoke drifting from the end of its short barrel. His father seemed to be equally shocked.
“Oh, did I forget to mention that one little detail, Bullet?” Sure Shot smirked, speaking to the older stallion with a certain level of familiarity that sent a cold chill down Braeburn’s spine.
“Pa!” he called to his father. “Ya’ wanna tell me what the hay is goin’ on right now? How come those two can shoot a bullet outta the air like that? That should be impossible!”
“Oh, he never told you, did he?” Sure Shot cackled, while his accomplice merely watched Braeburn and Bullet Tyme with zero emotion on her face. The only move she made was to chamber a new round into her weapon. “It’s simple; I taught her how to do it. Eagle Eye here is quite the fast learner. But that does indeed leave the question: who in the world showed me how to do it? However, I am going to ask you a question instead, Braeburn…”
“Shut yer mouth, Sure Shot!” Bullet Tyme yelled, a surprising amount of desperation lacing his words. However, the bandit leader continued.
“Who do you think taught me how to do it?” asked Sure Shot, taking a quick glance toward Bullet Tyme.
It took a moment for Braeburn’s exhausted mind to contemplate what Sure Shot had just said, but when he did, the riflepony’s world fell around him. His eyes widened, instantly turning in the direction of his father. He searched desperately for something in his father’s face to say otherwise, but to his horror, all he found was anger and guilt. Bullet Tyme bared his gritted teeth, something breaking in his eyes. There wasn’t a way that was true. Bullet Tyme was Braeburn’s father; a brash but ultimately good pony.
“Pa…” he said quietly, his forehooves shaking. “You tell me what he just said was a lie… you tell me that right now…”
Bullet Tyme winced, slowly turning his gaze toward his son. “It’s not what ya’ think, Braeburn.”
“Judging by the look on his face, I’d say it’s exactly what he’s thinking,” Sure Shot interjected, an amused look on his face. “As much as I’ve enjoyed this little visit, I’d say it’s time for us to make our leave.”
“Yer not goin’ anywhere!” Braeburn bellowed, his emotions running wild as he fired off another shot at the bandit leader’s feet, only to be deflected by another bullet from the green mare’s rifle. His aggravation turned quickly into a blind fury, and the riflepony reloaded another crimson cartridge, taking aim and ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder. He didn’t know if his body would withstand another blast from the powerful Dragon’s Breath, but he didn’t care. Braeburn pulled the trigger, and fired another lance of white-hot flame as the reopened side plates allowed another jet of pressure to escape from both sides of the receiver. He expected the bandits to dodge the attack, but growled in anger as a flash of blue light came between the blast and its target. The inferno roared, spreading around a bright, translucent barrier of pale blue light. Sparks of red and azure flew in all directions from the impact, a wailing sound of magic energy forcing Braeburn’s ears back to block out as much as he could.
The riflepony growled in furious confusion, his mind reeling as he tried to figure out what had happened. As the inferno burned out, Braeburn spotted a white, opaque gem on the floor directly underneath the dying barrier. It emitted a few sparks of residual energy before the magical wall disappeared with a loud crack.
“Huh. For a moment I was doubting Sparky’s spell gems,” smirked Sure Shot. “I guess that traitor had one last gift to give us. I figured it would be a good idea to keep a little bit of his magic in case of something like this. Too bad we still have to kill him.”
Sure Shot then reached into his bag, withdrawing another gem. Unlike the first one, this new crystal shined with a bright azure, the same exact shade as the unicorn’s mane and aura color. “Unfortunately, Colt of the West, this is not the day where we shoot it out like you seem to want us to. My offer still stands, by the way.”
Before either Braeburn or his father could make a move, the bandit leader threw the pale green gem onto the ground between himself and Ahuitzotl. In another flash of light, the three of them were nowhere to be found.
“N-No…” Braeburn uttered under his breath. He sheathed his rifle and bolted toward the spot where Sure Shot had disappeared, throwing his eyes around in desperation to find them. Unfortunately, their presence was gone from the temple. The riflepony stomped a hoof to the floor in aggravation, seething through his gritted teeth. As his hoof made impact with the stone, his bruised shoulder screamed in agony, causing him to falter and almost collapse. “Darn it!”
“Braeburn, come on,” came his father’s voice, the sound of hooves slowly approaching him from behind. Braeburn whipped his head to his right, finding Bullet Tyme attempting to hold him up. The riflepony stepped aside reflexively, glaring at the older stallion. Bullet sighed through his nose. “Look, Ah made some mistakes in the past, and Ah owe you all the explanation in the world, but we’ll talk about it later.”
Braeburn just stared at his father, searching his face for any sort of answer. But just like before, all he found was guilt and sorrow. “How can Ah trust you?”
“After what ya’ just heard, Ah don’t blame ya’ fer not wantin’ to,” Bullet admitted, placing a careful hoof on his son’s uninjured shoulder. “But fer right now, just be content that we did what we came to do. Also… Ah reckon there’s somepony that wants to thank you for it.”
For a moment, Braeburn was confused, letting it show on his face with a quirk of his eyebrow. Bullet Tyme snorted, turning him around by the shoulder. Across the enormous room, standing in the threshold that the cyan unicorn had made was the pony that had occupied his mind for a year and seven months.
The mare stood aside Day Break, who smiled brightly at the look on her friend’s face. The first thing Braeburn saw were the pegasus’ bright, magenta eyes; the ones that he had always gazed into with a sense of wistful awe. Her monochromatic mane and tail had grown an inch or two from what he remembered, unkempt but still beautiful against her sandstone-colored coat. Shreds of her trademark olive green shirt still hung from her shoulders, a single length wrapped around her torso. Daring Do stared at him with wide, glazed eyes, her expression breathless.
In a fraction of a second, Braeburn’s mood shifted dramatically from furious to that of pure elation. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head, a wordless breath escaping his lips. His heart beat against his chest, his stomach fluttering with a rising sensation. From the other side of the room, the archaeologist stepped forward, building speed into a full gallop. Braeburn took a breath, breaking himself out of his stupor to do the same. It seemed like an eternity for them to reach each other, but when they did, the beige stallion threw his forelegs around Daring Do, holding her as tight as he could. He felt the pegasus wrap her hooves around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. Everything about her was just as he remembered, right down to her warm, caring embrace. He felt both of their shoulders convulse with overwhelming emotion, allowing a few tears to run down his cheek.
“Y-You came for me…” Daring choked, her raspy voice cracking under pressure. “You d-dummy… how could y-you put yourself in danger like th-that? You could’ve been k-killed, you moron!”
“O’ course Ah came,” Braeburn whispered back, placing a hoof to the back of her head. “There ain’t a thing in this world that would’ve stopped me from comin’ here…”
Instead of responding, Daring broke away from the embrace, holding his cheeks in her forehooves. Tears streaked her blushing, quivering face, reminding the stallion of her natural pulchritude.
"Ah’m so sorry Ah worried you,” Braeburn said softly, sniffing back another wave of tears.
“You shouldn’t be sorry,” she whispered. “I sh-should be… I should’ve come back a year ago, but I was scared…”
Braeburn gave her a warm smile, placing his own hoof on hers. “And what d’ya feel now?”
Daring sniffed, smiling back brightly. She gripped his face in her hooves, pulling him toward her. Braeburn’s heart soared as she pressed her lips to his in a heartfelt embrace. He felt his eyes flutter closed, holding her cheeks in his hooves. The world around them melted away, their troubles simply nonexistent in the midst of Daring’s warmth. Nothing mattered except for her warm, soft lips against his. After what felt like several minutes, the two slowly broke apart, their eyes meeting each other with a sense of fondness. The mare leaned her forehead against his, wrapping her forelegs around his neck once again.
For the first time in his adult life, Braeburn didn’t feel like half a pony. With Daring Do, the first true friend he had ever acquired, he felt whole. It was nothing short of overwhelming, having his heart beat the name of the pony he had wanted to be with for so long. Even if his life were seconds from ending, that one moment they shared would forever be the highlight of his life.
“That a good enough answer for you?” whispered Daring, choking back another flow of emotion.
Braeburn replied with another lingering kiss to her lips, hearing the sound of her wings ruffling in response. But before either of them could say another word, they were wrapped in a tight embrace from a third pony. Braeburn opened his eyes to find Day Break, embracing the two of them.
“Gah! Day Break, you’re hurting me!” Daring yelped, although to no avail. The bright yellow pegasus smiled brightly, squeezing the new couple with all her might. “W-Wait… are you crying?”
“N-No!” Day Break replied into her friend’s shoulder. “…Maybe. Shut up, I’m happy for you guys, darn it!”
Braeburn snickered, bringing up a hoof to hug her in return. “Thanks, Day Break, but yer kinda hurtin’ the both o’ us.”
“Oh! Okay, sorry,” the yellow mare replied, breaking away from them. She sniffed, wiping her ruby eyes with her forehooves.
From behind, Bullet Tyme approached his son, offering a hoof to help him up. If it weren’t for his sore shoulder, Braeburn would have stood up himself. But ultimately, the riflepony allowed himself to be assisted to his hooves, Day Break doing the same for Daring. Braeburn noticed that she had much more difficulty standing, which aroused an immediate concern in his mind.
“Are you alright?” he asked worriedly, taking a painful step forward. Daring winced at first, her forelegs quivering from the strain of standing.
“Her front legs were tied behind her back,” Day Break answered for her. “I’m guessing they’re sore in some places and numb in others.”
“I’m fine,” Daring retorted right before faltering in her stance. Braeburn shot forward, catching her with a foreleg.
“Yer wings work?” he asked, his question answered by the yellow mare once again. “If not, Ah’m carrying ya’ outta here.”
“Doesn’t look like it; they were tied pretty tight too.”
“Seriously, Day Break, I’m okay! I can walk!”
“Nope, you’re letting your coltfriend carry you,” Day Break smirked. Daring went to reply, but seemed to linger on her friend’s last word. Braeburn took the opportunity to dip under the mare, scooping her onto his back. She yelped in surprise, holding onto his neck for support. Luckily, Daring was light even for her small frame.
“Oof… that was a dirty trick,” Daring said, a facetious scowl on her face.
“Is that a complaint?” asked Day Break.
Braeburn could practically hear Daring’s eyes roll. But instead of another retort, she merely wrapped her forelegs around Braeburn’s neck, her face burying into his mane. “No… not at all.”
“Well this is lovely and all, but Ah’m already sick o’ this place,” said Bullet Tyme. He gave his son a small grin, ruffling his mane with a hoof.
“Bullet Tyme?” said Daring, turning her head to face the stallion. “I heard and saw everything; we all did. Please just tell me that we can trust you.”
“Yes. Yes ya’ can,” said Bullet, speaking as sincerely as he could. “Like Ah told my boy here; we’ll talk about it later. Ah know Ah have a lot to explain.”
“Good,” Daring sighed, relieved. She returned her face to the back of Braeburn’s neck, allowing herself to relax. “Now can we please get out of here?”
Braeburn nodded, turning back to the end of the room they came from. Leaning against a large chunk of stone was the cyan unicorn watching them approach with a small smile on his face. Daring looked up wearily from Braeburn’s back, grinning at the short stallion.
“You really did it… you took my advice,” she said softly. The unicorn slowly rose to his hooves, raising a forehoof bump Daring’s.
“Not just yours, but Braeburn’s as well,” he said, giving the beige stallion a nod, which was returned. “I figured that if you could help me, it would be better than submitting to Sure Shot’s rule. Thank you, all of you.”
“No, thank you,” said Braeburn, giving him a light shove to the shoulder. “You could have killed me and ended this entire thing, but ya’ couldn’t. That’s how Ah knew you were good on the inside.”
“Say…” Daring started, her voice exhausted. “I never did get to know your name. What is it?”
“Well, ponies have taken a liking to calling me Sparks.”
“That’s not what I asked,” Daring replied.
The unicorn tilted his head in what looked like a brief moment of bewilderment. He then smiled, as if he was honored to be asked such a question. “Well, as you could probably understand, my full name is Azure Spark.”
“Azure… I think I like that name,” said Day Break. “It seems to fit you a lot more than Sparks.”
“Okay, again, I appreciate all of you, but for the last time can we please get out of this place!” Daring exclaimed out of nowhere, nearly deafening Braeburn. The rest of them nodded silently, and walked at a brisk pace out of the prison.