Chapter 2
25 hours earlier
The night air is smoggy and polluted as I stare down at the road into New Appleloosa, not like that is going to change anytime soon. I magically remove the small revolver out from my holster in my duster. I tip down the hat i'm wearing and say to nopony around "I've got a bullet with your name on it Gunderson."
Gunderson, the pony that has been causing me trouble ever since I was eighteen, 27 years ago. If things went differently on that day, we could have been good friends. I messed that up by accidentally killing his dog with some old machinery I'd got running, but that is beside the point. Ever since then, we have caused each other too much trouble for tomorrow to end with both of us alive.
After an hour of walking along the beaten trail to New Appleloosa, tripping on a single crack along the way and swearing out some random bug on the ground for it for no particular reason, I was finally at the front entrance. The pony back at the saloon in the last place I was at said he would be coming through here.
Of course, the plan of action was to go to the saloon first. Gunderson made a habit of drinking everywhere he went, and making a scene of it too.
The saloon is a series of railcars that have been pushed together and haphazardly sewn together, the only thing that makes it look like a saloon is the burnt out sign hanging from the roof that says "SALOON".
When I walk in through the rusty door, I get a few stares from random ponies around the room but soon I tilt my hat down and they all go back to what they were doing.
The bartender is a old stallion with a gray mane and tail with a light brown coat. I trot up to him and ask for a drink "I'll take some whisky."
The old stallion doesn't say anything but nods in response. When he brings me a drink I take a swig of it. I never really drink much, but I think this is a special occasion.
After a few minutes of taking light sips of the whisky, I stop drinking and ask the bartender a question,"Have you seen a brown coated unicorn with a red mane?"
The bartender stares at me for a short moment and tells me "you mean the stallion that came in here and caused a ruckus 3 hours ago?"
The stallion sitting next to me stares at me when I ask the bartender "you catch his name?"
"Gunny son or something like that." He says with resentment.
"Yeah thats most likely him" I say quietly. Well, that is proof hes been here. Now I gotta find out where he went.
"You lookin for Gunderson?" says the stallion sitting beside me drukenly.
I don't know who this stallion is, but he looks like he is a town drunk or something. "You know where he is?" I ask with anticipation.
"P-perhaps I do" he says with a drunken stutter, "but it'll-" he coughs for a bit and continues talking, "it'll cost ya" he finally says.
Well, they say always go to the ones everyone ignores for information. "What is it going to cost?" i ask patiently.
"A... a drink" he says after taking the last sip of his drink.
The bartender was listening and is already pouring a drink while I get the caps out. "Fine I suppose" I say in response to his proposal.
After he finishes his drink he turns back to me, slightly drunker than he was before of course. "House o-on the hill a mile east of town. He was talking with somepony else he-here and left with h-him. be careful those th- thug... those the-" he pauses for a moment "ah hell, just be careful" he says after getting agitated about not being able to speak properly.
"Yeah thanks for the information" I say with gratitude. "I'll leave you to it." I say as I leave.
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After stocking up on supplies from the market place and selling off what I didn't need along with consistent bartering, I finally walk out of the town heading for the house on the hill.
When I get to the base of the hill night has fallen and it starts to get colder. As I climb I try to form a plan on how i'm going to end this.
I'm catching him by surprise, but that wont mean much because his aim will compensate. He has a friend so I don't know how i'm going to deal with him, if he is still here. It doesn't look like i'll survive this but i'm damn well going to try.
At the door I ready my aim, and kick down the door with a resounding crack that echoes through the house and the first thing I see is his friend. Without thinking I take a shot at his general direction and hit him luckily with a fatal shot in no where else than his head.
After I realize that was the worst course of action I could take because there is no cover in the long hallway I ran into, Gunderson round the corner after hearing the gunshot and the front door breaking. If I could get back outside in time before he shoots and take cover I might be able to pull this off, but all hope of that plan working shatters as he quick draws his gun faster than I could ever do, and shoots me in the chest.
The shot knocks me off of my feet and onto the ground as the life giving blood inside of me starts to ooze from the chest wound. Not only did the shot do that but it also made me loose grip of my gun with my magic and it slides down the hall to Gunderson's hooves.
"Well look who it is, no other pony than Neon!" he says with fake enthusiasm. "Come to kill me I presume?"
I look at him with my best stink eye and don't respond.
"You're plan failed. I suppose its time for you to be killed instead perhaps?"
I don't bother even trying to respond as he trots over his dead friend and stops a few hooves in front of me.
"You know Neon, you never did tell me your real full name" he says with a 'any last words' kind of tone.
Blood is slowly starting to fill my lungs at this point when I respond with a coughing fit and what will probably be my last words, "go die in the ditch you were born in, Gunderson."
"Well then Neon" he he says disappointed as he lifts his gun with his dark red magic "I think that this conversation is over." I give him my best stink eyes as he aims for the base of my horn.