Colt of the West

by DiveBomb


Thirteen - Of Folklore and Origins

Braeburn awoke to a wonderful sensation of warmth and comfort with something thick and heavy draped over his entire body. His left eye cracked open to find a tan comforter thrown over his head, while a bright source of light attempted to shine through the fabric. He groaned in content as he stretched his limbs below the sheets, reveling in the feeling of the material against his fur. He found that his duster had been wrapped tightly around him, more than likely caused by him rolling in his sleep again. His ears lay flat against the sides of his head, but he was able to hear the muffled sounds of voices from across the room. For a moment or two, Braeburn questioned whether or not he was fully awake, and decided to find out for himself.

The stallion groaned in comfort once more, raising a hoof to uncover his head. He looked sleepily through half-lidded eyes around the room, taking in the details as slowly as possible. It was difficult to judge the position of the sun from his spot on Daring’s bed and therefore the time, but he felt as if he had been sleeping for a long time. Across the room, Azure, Day Break and Daring sat around the coffee table having some sort of discussion. His marefriend had apparently disposed of the tattered remains of her old shirt, for she now wore a new one identical to it. Braeburn looked over to his right to find the cockpit door open, spotting Artemis and his father seated at the controls of the ship. Evidently everypony else had woken up quite some time before him, for they all looked to be fully awake and well-rested.

Daring Do looked over toward Braeburn, smiling brightly at the sight of him. “Hey, lazy-flank. Good to see you decided to wake up.”

“I was about to think you were suffocating under there,” Day Break agreed.

The monochromatic mare hopped down from her seat on the couch, trotting over to help rouse the stallion out of bed. As she did, she asked in an undertone: “How’s your shoulder?”

Braeburn slowly rose to his haunches, rolling his shoulder in its socket. “Much better. How’d ya’ know ‘bout that, anyhow?”

“You were limping all the way to the ship,” Daring answered, busying herself by adjusting the mantle of his duster for him. “Plus, your father told me about those Dragon’s Breath rounds. Maybe it’s best to avoid using those.”

Braeburn laughed. “Yer sweet, but Ah can deal with pain. It’s letting the enemy win when Ah have a chance to stop ‘em that Ah can’t do.”

“Still as stubborn as ever,” Daring mused, climbing up on the bed to sit in front of him. “Artemis and your dad will be out in a bit. We’re all gonna sit down and make a game plan of what we’re gonna do. I was just talking to Azure to see if he knew anything about Sure Shot that would help us.”

“Get anything good?”

Daring shook her head. “Nothing entirely game-changing, just minor details about what it was like working for him. You’ll hear about the rest in a bit. I guess Sure Shot was smart about what he shared with his followers. That is to say, nothing, of course.”

“Perfect,” Braeburn sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Just as Daring was about to reply, Bullet Tyme and Artemis returned from the front of the ship. The pilot sat down on the end of the other cot, while the older stallion took his usual spot on the couch across from Day Break and Azure Spark. Daring turned around on her haunches while Braeburn scooted himself forward to get a better view of the ponies around him.

“Glad to see yer awake, finally,” Bullet said to his son, who only nodded sleepily in response.

“Well, we still have another couple of hours until we reach land, so let’s get this all over with,” said Artemis in a tired voice. “We’re going to be landing just outside of Ponyville, right on the edge of the Everfree Forest. We’ll get the journal, get back here and figure out our next step from there. Short, sweet and to the point. Well, for now at least.”

“So I guess now would be a good time for you to tell us about that journal, Daring,” said Azure Spark, once again bringing all eyes to the dark mare. “I mean, if that’s alright. Sure Shot never mentioned anything about what he was looking for. Well, except that it would change the world around us once he got it in his hooves. I’m hoping that’s not entirely true.”

Daring sighed through her nostrils, her expression turning grave. “If somepony like him gets it, then unfortunately it would prove to be very true.”

“So what is it?” asked Bullet, growing impatient.

“I’m getting to that,” said Daring. “What Sure Shot is looking for is known to the archaeological world as nothing but a myth, but then again, Cunning the Colt was a myth too. But unlike him, there has never been anything in history that would suggest this item’s existence. Heck, I never even thought about it being real until I took a closer look at that journal, and trust me, I looked everywhere beforehoof. For Sure Shot to even be actively looking for it means that he must have learned something to convince him of its existence. I would love to know what he found that I couldn’t. In any case, Sure Shot must be the world’s biggest fool to go after it.”

“Unfortunately, a ‘fool’ is something I would never imagine calling that stallion,” said Azure gravely.

“I think you’ll change your mind about that once I get to my point,” said Daring, her brow furrowing. “Cunning’s journal was, by far, the most interesting piece of literature I have ever read. If he wasn’t a criminal, he could have been a very successful writer. Contrary to the idea of the typical dim-witted robber, the original Colt of the West was extremely detailed and actually quite eloquent in his writing. He could certainly paint a picture better than most novelists today. So it was odd to find words that were… out of place every now and then.”

“Out of place? Like how?” asked Braeburn, suddenly engaged in her story.

“This pony wrote as if every single word was carefully picked to maximize every last aspect of reading his journal, from the descriptions to the flow of his recollections. I mean Cunning didn’t even make a single grammar or spelling mistake! Not to mention his flawless quillwork. So when I spotted these… well, not really mistakes, but just odd word use, they stood out like a sore hoof. After I read the journal, I went back to the beginning with a notepad and a little objectivity.”

Daring then dipped her head down to the left side of the bed, rummaging through her bag on the floor. She withdrew a dark notepad, sitting back up to her haunches and flipping through to a bookmarked page. “The first word I found that was out of place was ‘idiot.’ When describing somepony of… well, less than average intelligence, Cunning used words like ‘buffoon,’ or ‘dim-witted.’ Needless to say, this word stood out to me, so I wrote it down. From there, I would find instances just like this one, and I noted every single one. Unfortunately, I only got halfway through the journal during this process before we made our way toward Mesoequestria. But… I did manage to find something… something incredible. The first letter of every oddly-placed word spelled… well, this.”

The archaeologist took her hoof away from the notepad and held it up for everypony to see.

I am one of many. We safeguard the Fyre of Tar

“The ‘Fyre of Tar’?” Braeburn read aloud, confused. “What in the hay is the Fyre of Tar?”

“That’s as far as I got before we set out for Mesoequestria,” said Daring. “But it looks like Azure is the only pony here who seems to grasp what the rest of the sentence is.”

With that, Braeburn, Day Break, Artemis and Bullet Tyme cast a curious glance over to the unicorn, who looked as if he had seen Death himself. His eyes were wide, his face pale as a ghost. He sat wordlessly aside Day Break, his lips parted and twitching. “Please tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it means.”

“Now you know why I’m calling Sure Shot a fool,” Daring replied, flipping the notepad closed and setting it back down. “For the rest of you, the only thing that the rest of that last word could possibly say in such a context is ‘Tartarus.’”

Braeburn’s eyelids flew open upon hearing the name, his head recoiling back in shock. “H-Hold on. Ya’ mean the Tartarus? Like, the lowest floor o’ the Underworld? The one where the most evil o’ beasts are imprisoned?”

“The very same,” answered Daring, holding the notepad up again. “And I know somepony is gonna ask so I’ll just get right to it. The ‘Y’ in the word ‘fyre’ is not a mistake. In fact, it only helps confirm this entire discovery. Way back in the day, the word ‘fire’ was often spelled with a ‘Y’ in the place of an ‘I’ when referring to magical conjuring. And by ‘back in the day,’ I mean from when the Equestrian language was established to a few years after Cunning’s time.”

“So just what is this Fyre of Tartarus?” asked Bullet Tyme again.

“It’s… it’s a catalyst of divine magical energy,” Daring answered. “Legends suggest that it’s an item of unknown origin to any and every inscription or tome. Scholars and archaeological theorists think that it was created from the raw power of one of the Old Ones; the gods and goddesses that made the world around us. Of course, that’s just one belief. Not many theories have been made on the subject of the Fyre of Tartarus, even less than that of the original Colt of the West. Considering what it was allegedly used for, even the most eccentric of minds never put a single thought toward it.”

“It was said to have been used as a safeguard within the Underworld, right?” asked Azure in a quiet, slightly shaking voice.

“In a way,” said the archaeologist. “As some of you may know, the Gates of Tartarus are currently guarded by Cerberus; the giant three-headed dog, but he wasn’t always there. In the old days before he was around, the monsters doomed to Tartarus were kept inside by nothing but the Fyre’s power. But over time, more and more creatures were imprisoned, and the Gates needed a new form of protection to keep the monsters at bay. Once Cerberus was placed to guard Tartarus, the Fyre needed to be moved and protected. It was said that a small group of ponies was formed to guard the item; to hide it and make sure its divine power never fell into the wrong hooves. According to my findings in the journal, it looks like Cunning the Colt had something to do with this group.”

“From what I’ve heard, the Gates themselves were put under a powerful spell after the Fyre was moved,” Azure said, adding to the story.

“By who? Celestia?” asked Day Break.

“I dunno,” shrugged Daring. “Could have been her, Luna or heck, it could have been Starswirl the freaking Bearded. Like I said, not much of this tale has been theorized. All I know is what I’ve said, and I can’t even guarantee any of that.”

“Stars above,” Braeburn breathed, laughing silently in bewilderment. He closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing his brow with a hoof. “Cunning the Colt… ya’ continue to surprise me.”

“You’re not the only one,” Daring assured. “I was certain that his existence was all I was going to find about him. For a moment there, I actually went against my personal archaeological code.”

“And what’s that?” asked Braeburn.

“Never stop digging, even if you’ve found what you were looking for,” she answered with a sidelong grin. “That just leaves one question, I guess: How does Sure Shot of all ponies know about the Fyre, and why is he searching for it?”

“Ya’ know, it makes a whole lotta sense,” Bullet Tyme grunted, bringing the attention of the room to himself. “Now that Ah know what he’s lookin’ to gain from all o’ this.”

“Pa…” said Braeburn quietly. “Ah reckon it might be a good time fer you to tell us just what happened between you and Sure Shot.”

Artemis blinked, his head cocking back an inch or two. “Hold on, Brae. What are you talking about?”

“It turns out that Bullet Tyme had something to do with Sure Shot in the past,” Daring started before quoting the exchange that the two seasoned rifleponies shared in the temple. Braeburn was silently hoping for Artemis to wait before expressing his feelings, but the gray earth pony didn’t seem to be able to hold his emotions back.

Artemis’ look of confusion slowly contorted into that of pure anger. The pilot jumped down from his seat on the end of Day Break’s bed, taking a few quick strides across the room. Before anypony knew it, Artemis shoved his face into Bullet’s, his forelegs standing on the coffee table. “You did this?! You were the one that trained that killer?! You’re the reason my goddaughter was beaten to near death in the middle of the jungle?!”

“Artemis!” Daring exclaimed, appalled. But her godfather didn’t seem to be listening.

“Do you mean to tell me that you were the one that gave that maniac the tools that caused so many deaths and this much destruction?!” Artemis yelled directly in Bullet Tyme’s face. Braeburn would have been infuriated at anypony attempting to engage his father, but judging by the unimpressed look on the older stallion’s face, it seemed that he had nothing to worry about. “I trusted you, Bullet Tyme, and now I learn this?!”

“Ah know all too well what yer feelin’, Artemis,” grunted Bullet Tyme, his voice low and calm. “Ah get it, yer lookin’ to strike back at anypony that could’ve been the reason fer what happened to Daring. But Ah’ll tell ya’ one thing; yer aimin’ yer sights at the wrong pony.”

Daring leaped off the bed and flew over to her godfather’s side, forcibly yanking him back down to the floor by the shoulder. She kept her hoof there, glaring into the gray stallion’s eyes. “Artemis, I appreciate your enthusiasm to take revenge for me, but Bullet Tyme isn’t the one that did all of this to me. Quite frankly, I don’t need you to fight my battles. Please just sit back down and let this pony explain what happened.”

Somehow, the tension didn’t seem to die down immediately. Artemis kept his heated gaze fixed on Bullet Tyme, who returned it without a single blink. Braeburn, Day Break and Azure Spark stared at the two stallions, completely stunned by the pilot’s sudden outrage. It wasn’t like Artemis to lash out irrationally like that. The gray stallion was usually objective and collected. But lately, he seemed to be losing his control. Braeburn was astounded by the stallion’s quickness to defend his goddaughter, especially to such a drastic point.

After a moment or two, Artemis finally broke eye contact with Bullet and sat back down in his original seat, crossing his forelegs as he waited for the riflepony to speak. Daring returned to her bed next to Braeburn, her eyes flickering between the two stallions. Bullet Tyme sat up on his haunches atop his couch, cracking his neck as he adapted to the new position.

“Ah was hopin’ to keep this between me and my son, but Ah guess ya’ll deserve to know what happened,” he started, looking to everypony in the room.

“I think that it would prove to be useful information to all of us,” Azure commented.

“Right, well… Ah wasn’t always an apple farmer, as you can imagine. What ya’ might not know is that Ah wasn’t always… well, a good pony.” Bullet continued. He then looked toward his son, his wrinkled eyes full of what one could only define as guilt and regret. “Braeburn, what Ah’m about to say might very well change how ya’ look at me. Ah should’ve told ya’ this years ago, and Ah’m sorry fer that.”

“Pa, just do me a favor and just say it,” said Braeburn flatly. “The past is the past. Ah’m not one to dwell on what doesn’t matter no more.”

Bullet Tyme seemed to chew on that for a moment. For the briefest of instances, Braeburn thought he spotted a small smile flash upon his father’s face. “Dodge wasn’t always such a nice place. Ah grew up in bad times, when good ponies were hard to come by. The West wasn’t exactly protected by the eyes of the Equestrian Guard. If there was a disaster, we were on our own. Back when Ah was about yer age, Braeburn, Ah was involved with some less than favorable folk. Ah found myself without any other choice. It was either take what Ah needed or be killed in the crossfire. Ah reckon it didn’t help that Ah was born with a special talent quite like mine. Ah could have used it fer good, maybe even start a revolution that freed the West from the hooves of the greedy and the corrupt. But… Ah was young and stupid.”

Bullet Tyme paused for a moment, quietly reflecting on his memories. “Ah did some bad things to ponies that didn’t deserve it; ponies that never did a darned thing, all so Ah could get by. One day, there was a massive firefight in the San Palomino Desert, in a small settlement at the bottom of the mesas. We were headin’ off a supply caravan comin’ from Los Pegasus, but we were expected. The sheriff of Dodge Junction rounded up some rifleponies and set up an ambush. Turned out that the caravan was a trap, and we never saw it comin’. We were cornered and losin’ ponies by the minute. But in all the chaos, my eye managed to fall on a civilian. It was a colt, hidin’ behind a crumblin’ wall. He looked at me from across a road of flyin’ bullets. Ah had seen my fair share o’ frightened ponies in my day, but never once did Ah look them in the eye. But somehow, this one got to me. Ah ran outta my cover to the colt’s side, and Ah did everything Ah could just to keep him alive. Ah’ll never know why Ah did it. Maybe it was the first time Ah ever felt sympathy fer an innocent, or maybe it was just the adrenaline. Before we were forced to flee, that boy clung to my leg like there was no tomorrow. Poor thing was in hysterics, covered in blood that wasn’t his. We had no time, so Ah got him outta there with us.”

“So was that Sure Shot?” Day Break asked, leaning forward over the coffee table.

“Are ya’ gonna let me tell this story or not?” Bullet retorted, cracking his neck again before moving on. “From there on out, that boy wouldn’t leave my side. Ah guess he looked at me like some sorta’ father figure. Ah’m guessin’ his Pa must’a died or left. Either way, Ah tried to shake him off. We couldn’t afford to have some kid hangin’ ‘round and slowin’ us down. But no matter how hard Ah tried, he wouldn’t leave. Price to pay fer savin’ his life, Ah guess. Over time, Ah kinda grew fond o’ the kid, especially when he saved my life.”

Everypony’s eyes flew open in shock, but none of them interrupted the stallion again. “One night me and my gang were camped out in the Macintosh Hills just North o’ the Badlands when somepony tried to rob us. Ah woke up to find that boy puttin’ a bullet square in the drifter’s eye from ten yards away with my gun. The shot was amazin’, not somethin’ no normal pony new to shootin’ could do, let alone in the dark o’ the night. At that point, there wasn’t a way in Equestria Ah could just abandon him. The boy didn’t have a name he liked, so I called him Sure Shot. We didn’t see it until the mornin’, but he woke up to find a cutie mark in the shape of a rifle sight on his flank. Fer years, Sure Shot was like the son Ah never had. He grew up to be the only pony that could even try to keep up with my shootin’, s’pecially after Ah trained him.”

“So… he helped you rob banks and things like that?” asked Braeburn.

“We didn’t think we had a choice, but Ah reckon that’s nothin’ more than an excuse,” Bullet replied. “One day we wound up in Dodge Junction in the middle o’ the night, lookin’ fer some place to stay. We were outta supplies, so we broke off into groups to look. Ah went off and snuck into a closed general store. Little did Ah know that there was somepony there still closin’ up shop. She flicked the light on and spotted me. It was a mare, the most beautiful Ah’d ever seen.”

Something clicked in Braeburn’s mind, causing his eye to twitch violently.

“Ah just stood there in shock, lookin’ at her like she was some kinda goddess,” Bullet went on, his tone nostalgic. “O’ ‘course, an innocent little filly like that wasn’t too keen on somepony with a gun breakin’ into her shop. Ah heard one o’ my friends lookin’ fer me outside, and Ah panicked. Before she could scream outta fright, Ah took the mare and hid both of us behind the counter. The stallion shot the door open and took what our team needed before he left. The mare thought that Ah was tryin’ to save her from my fellow riflepony, and Ah couldn’t bring myself to tell her otherwise. Long story short, that night led to me livin’ a double life: one shootin’ up banks with a mask on and the other with her.”

“What was the mare’s name?” asked Day Break curiously.

“Was it Melrose Apple?” Braeburn asked, his brow furrowed in slight anger. He glared at his father, appalled at this particular part of the story.

“How do you know, Brae?” asked Daring, tilting her head at him with concern.

“’Cause that was his mother’s name,” said Bullet regretfully, his eyelids low. “Ah’m sorry, Braeburn, but that was how Ah met yer Ma.”

Braeburn screwed his eyes shut, rubbing his temples in an attempt to wade through his disgust. “S’alright, Pa. Just… just get on with it.”

“Right,” the older stallion continued once again. Meanwhile, Daring placed a forehoof over Braeburn’s, doing her best to give him a reassuring smile. “Over time, Ah knew that eventually Ah would have to choose one life and leave the other behind. Once Ah knew that Ah loved Melrose, the choice was easy. But… Sure Shot didn’t agree with my decision. He felt like Ah abandoned him by not stealin’ alongside him and the rest o’ the gang. He was still young, but he was also a very angry pony. He couldn’t handle the only pony he could call family quitting the business, so Sure Shot left with the bandits that were still alive and not behind bars. It hurt to watch the boy go, but… Ah had my own son on the way at the time. Before ya’ ask, son, Ah did tell her everything, right when you were a foal. It was hard fer her to accept, but she never left you and Ah. Well, not on her own accord. The rest ya’ already know.”

Braeburn let his head fall into his hooves as he processed everything that his father said. He had never heard Bullet Tyme speak more than a few sentences at a time, let alone as much as he just did. The amount of information that was forced into his mind was overwhelming, and he took a few moments to think every last bit over. He felt Daring bring her hoof up to his back, rubbing slow circles along his shoulder blades.

“Ah’m sorry, Braeburn,” said Bullet Tyme sincerely. “Ah’m sorry that yer Pa was a criminal.”

“Ah know,” said the beige stallion, looking back up to his father. “And it’s in the past. Ah said that it didn’t matter no more, and it doesn’t. Yeah, ya’ made some mistakes in the past, but it seems like Ma turned ya’ right ‘round. If she was able to do that before she passed, then Ah reckon she’s a mite proud o’ ya’ up there.”

Bullet Tyme smiled, averting his eyes away from his son. “That lighten things up fer ya’, Artemis?”

The gray earth pony looked up from the floor, his previous scowl softening into something more acceptant. He let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his sleek black mane with a hoof. “So you were essentially the ‘Sure Shot’ of your time.”

“That’s an ironic spin on it, but yeah,” Bullet answered.

“Well… I guess nothing can change the past, and there’s nothing here telling me that you’re still that stallion,” Artemis admitted. “Evidently I owe you an apology, Bullet Tyme. I’m sorry for taking my anger out on you.”

“Don’t mention it, Art. Just get up front and tell me that we’re at least close to Equestria,” Bullet replied. “Ah’m getting’ sick o’ this tiny little cabin.”

“No problem,” the pilot replied with a sidelong grin. He hopped down from the cot and strode into the cockpit.

“Well, Daring, Ah guess Ah can only answer yer question with that story,” Bullet said, looking back to the archaeologist. “Sure Shot has always had a history cravin’ power. The world we live in was never quite to his likin’. So if he found a way to change it to his will, then Ah wouldn’t be surprised to see him go after it.”

“That’s a pretty… well, underwhelming answer, but an answer nonetheless,” Daring replied. “Thank you for telling us this, Bullet Tyme.”

The stallion nodded before lying back down on his couch, placing his hat over his face. After that, the cabin settled back into a sense of calm, allowing everypony to breathe. Braeburn, however, wasn’t so quick to relax. He turned around atop the bed, scooting over toward the window. He leaned his forehead against the cool glass, staring unfocused out the window to the blue sea below. He tucked his forehooves into the crooks of his legs in an attempt to cease their shaking. He tried to close his eyes, but found that they had been held wide open by his racing thoughts.

Hearing his quick breathing, Daring followed him to the window. She leaned against him, prodding his cheek with her muzzle. “Hey, Brae? Are you alright?”

Braeburn nodded against the glass, a few of his amber bangs pressed to his brow. “S’just a lot to take in.”

Daring nudged him by the shoulder with her forehead. “Come on, let’s go up top and get some air. It’s starting to get stuffy in here anyway.”

Without another word of convincing, Braeburn complied with her pushing and slid to the floor, standing to his hooves. Daring flew over to the back door of the cabin and opened it, pausing to catch Artemis’ attention with a sharp whistle. “Hey, Arty! Brae and I are gonna go get some air for a bit.”

“Alright,” he called back from his chair up front. “Do me a favor and bring one of your weapons with you. You never know if more of Sure Shot’s followers are gonna show up.”

Braeburn nodded wordlessly as he picked up Thumper and strapped it to his back. Daring went through the door first, her coltfriend close behind until somepony called after them.

“No hanky-panky, you two!” Day Break jeered.

“No what?” Braeburn asked, but was immediately pulled through the threshold by the collar of his duster.

“Day Break, I swear to Celestia…” Daring retorted, trailing off as she shut the door behind them.

Braeburn slowly climbed the curved ladder once they were outside, feeling a familiar nauseous sensation stir the contents of his stomach. The pegasus hovered alongside him in his ascent, making sure that he didn’t slip and fall. Once he reached the top, Daring landed in front of him atop the wooden maintenance dock. Braeburn walked up to her side, finding a horrified look on the mare’s face. He traced her gaze to the plethora of holes poked through the wood beneath their hooves, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth in guilt.

“Ohh… right, that,” he said bashfully.

“What did you do to my ship?” she breathed, appalled at the sight.

“Ah protected it,” Braeburn replied. “It was either that or the whole thing would be at the bottom of the ocean and we’d all be dead or close to dead.”

“I guess,” she muttered, rubbing a hoof to the scarred wood.

Braeburn allowed himself a small smirk, taking a few steps toward the front of the ship before falling to his haunches. He yawned widely, covering his mouth with a hoof. Daring plopped down directly in front of him, tilting her head with concern. However, she looked at him with a smile, her rose eyes gazing into his.

“Why do Ah get the feelin’ that ya’ took me up here just to get me alone?” Braeburn chuckled.

Daring replied by leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. Braeburn’s eyes drifted closed on reflex, turning his maw to accommodate hers. They sat there for the better part of a minute, kissing passionately as the wind blew their manes about. The stallion’s heart slowed down dramatically as his marefriend’s forehooves slid around his neck, deepening their embrace. He returned the favor, hugging her around the waist. Daring made a quiet squeaking noise, smiling against his lips as they continued. When his lungs needed more than what his nostrils could provide, Braeburn tilted his head forward, breaking the kiss. He and Daring both took a long, hot breath as they stared at each other with loving eyes. The earth pony felt a tingling sensation flow along his spine, effectively distracting him from his previous worries.

Neither of them removed their forelegs from each other, refusing to leave the embrace. Braeburn held her close, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Well, getting you all to myself was one reason, I’ll admit,” Daring panted slightly, rubbing her cheek against his. “So tell me, how does such an inexperienced stallion kiss as well as you do?”

“I dunno, Ah just think about how Ah feel ‘bout ya’,” Braeburn smiled as the two of them broke apart.

“Aww… Since when are you such a charmer?”

“Since-”

Daring stopped him with a hoof to his lips. “Rhetorical, Brae-Brae. Now did you need to talk about anything? You looked really shaken up back there.”

Braeburn sighed. “Nothin’ that ain’t self-explanatory. It was just overwhelmin’ to hear all o’ that. At first Ah thought that somehow Sure Shot had tricked my Pa into showin’ him how to deflect a bullet, but it turns out that he might as well have been part o’ the family before me. Not only that, but my Pa was the one robbin’ banks and terrorizing towns back then? Ah can’t rightly accept that so easily.”

“I know you can’t; nopony could,” said Daring, her voice soft. “But ask yourself this: do you feel like you’re tainted because of what your father did?”

“No, o’ ‘course not,” he replied. “A very wise pony once told me that Ah’m not my ancestor, and Ah reckon the same goes fer my father.”

Daring smiled brightly at that. “Just look at it this way: you’re going to take some time to absorb all of this information. But in the end, you still have a father that loves you; one that’s sticking around to make sure you’re safe. It’s obvious that you mean the world to him, Braeburn, so just… just know that you’re lucky as heck to have that.”

Braeburn’s head shot up at that, wincing at the touch of sadness in her eyes. “Oh, no Ah’m sorry-”

“Hey, no, it’s okay. I wasn’t talking about my situation,” Daring recovered quickly. “I’m not going to tell you not to feel what you should be feeling just because my father isn’t around anymore. That would be selfish.”

Braeburn winced reflexively at how casually she spoke of her deceased father. He brushed it aside after a beat, bringing himself back to the conversation. “Ah appreciate that, Daring. Thanks fer this.”

“No problem,” she replied, giving him another quick peck on the lips. “Besides, I can’t have you all mopy when I need you shooting.”

“That’s mighty affectionate o’ ya’,” said Braeburn sarcastically. He followed Daring to his hooves, brushing his windswept mane from his face. “But hey… Ah do have one question.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“Cute, but really now,” Braeburn continued, walking behind her toward the ladder. “When we got ya’ outta that temple, Ah was kinda expectin’ some sorta display o’ hate towards Ahuitzotl or at least Sure Shot. Ah mean good fer you not broodin’ over what happened, but… Are ya’ sure that ya’ don’t need to talk about it? Ah reckon now would be a good time.”

Daring stopped right in front of the ladder leading down to the cabin below the balloon. She paused, looking up to the sky while giving her wings and tail a flick. The pegasus turned around to face her coltfriend, her expression unreadable. For a moment, Braeburn was afraid of what she could have been feeling. He didn’t know if she was going to explode or break down into tears. However, Daring didn’t do either of those things.

“I haven’t expressed… how I feel about what happened because I know that my anger will be satisfied,” she said, confusing Braeburn even further. Her mouth was a flat line, nowhere close to a smile or a frown. Her apathetic demeanor unnerved a small part of the stallion, especially when she concluded her statement: “Ahuitzotl was the one that took my parents away. He was the one that beat the hay out of me for two days and nights. He effectively changed my life for the worse since the day we crossed each other’s paths. Because of all that, I will be the one to end that monster’s life.”