Two - The Adventurer
The sun had started to set outside the range's windows, an orange glow illuminating the clouds and the land below. Every single target had been torn to shreds from the multitude of rounds they had been struck with. Braeburn put the old Marechester down on the bench, careful not to touch the heated metal. The end of the barrel still poured out a billow of smoke, filling the air with the acrid smell of gunpowder. He and Applejack let out a sigh of content, tired from the afternoon of shooting. Braeburn's shoulder felt like it had been bucked several times, which wasn't a far cry from what really caused it. The cold floor was littered with brass shells, emptied of their powder and bullets. The two swept them into a large bucket, saving them for their little value. Brass was a metal that Bullet Tyme had always brought to the local refinery in exchange for their weight in bits. They didn't bring back much, but it did reimburse a quarter the cost of a box of cartridges. These days, even the small amounts of money the family could scrape up was good enough.
"Ah hope Pa doesn't mind how much ammunition we used," Braeburn said, packing away what they hadn't fired.
"Nah. Ah don't think he'll care as long as ya' go along with this shootin' thing," the orange mare replied as she sat up on the table. Braeburn chuckled as he gazed at the intricate etching on Thumper's receiver.
"You will go along with it...right?"
The cowpony gave his cousin an odd look. "Ya' sound like ya' want me to keep at it."
"Well why not?" Applejack replied. "Yer good at it. Yer really good at it. And if the farm doesn't work ou-"
Applejack stopped herself, realizing that her thoughts had been voiced. She threw a hoof over her mouth, her emerald eyes wide. Braeburn whipped his head around at the mare, his expression taken aback. He opened his mouth to retort, but then found himself closing it, his gaze lowering to the floor. "Oh, no Brae Ah'm sorry! Ah shouldn't of-"
"Naw AJ, yer right," Braeburn sighed. "This has been a great day and all, but Ah need'ta be realistic. The farm can't keep goin' without no income. If this can have a chance o' bringin' in bits, then Ah'll have ta' do it. Those competitions here and in other towns deal out plenty, even in third place."
Applejack shifted awkwardly, slumping atop the table. As harsh as they were, his cousin's words were undoubtedly true. Even if he was unsure about the idea, Braeburn thanked Celestia that he had a way to help the farm. But then again, the next contest wasn't for another few months, when Summer ended and the heat died down. Would they be able to make it until then? There wasn't a way to be sure. If not, then how would they be able to survive without any income? A wave of hopelessness crashed upon his mind, forcing the beige stallion to his haunches.
As soon as he hit the concrete floor, the door to the range opened. Bullet Tyme poked his head through the opening, giving his son a sly look.
"Hey there riflepony!" he said with a grin. "You didn't tell me you were expecting a mare ta' come over."
Braeburn cocked an eyebrow, standing back up immediately.
"Pfft, what?!" Applejack exclaimed, snickering quietly to herself. Braeburn ignored her.
"What're ya' talkin' about Pa?" he asked curiously. Bullet only widened his grin.
"You don't have ta' pretend with me boy. If ya' got a marefriend then good for you!"
"Pa, Ah don't know what yer talkin' about," Braeburn repeated, bewildered. His father laughed, obviously not giving his son's words any thought.
"Okay, okay. Whatever ya' say son. Just get in the livin' room when yer done."
Bullet Tyme left the room, leaving a stunned Braeburn to furrow his brow in confusion. The beige stallion turned to Applejack, whom merely shrugged with a strained smile. Who would be looking for him? His thoughts were quelled once he saw that his cousin was still suppressing a laugh.
"What is so darn funny?"
"N-Nothin, Cuz," she giggled.
"Is it really that hard to imagine me havin' a marefriend?"
"Pffffft, kinda," she snickered. "Well let's go see this mare o' yers."
"Applejack!"
The orange mare only replied with another laugh, exiting the gun range. Braeburn groaned silently to himself. He followed her through the door, wondering what kind of mare needed to see him of all ponies.
Braeburn rubbed his sore shoulder as he crossed the threshold into the living room, right behind Applejack. The entire way he couldn't help but feel apprehensive about who wanted to meet with him. He may have been excitable when meeting new ponies arriving in Appleloosa, but the stallion never found himself going out of his way to make any long-time friends. Braeburn never gave the thought of friendship much time before. He was a farmpony, he simply didn't have the time. Perhaps that was why the stallion found himself overjoyed whenever he met new ponies, or even when his family visited the dusty settlement. It was a lonely life, residing in such a small, remote area. But in the end, it was where he belonged.
Braeburn felt his neck snap to attention when he saw their guest. Standing next to Bullet Tyme in the middle of the living room was pegasus mare that he immediately recognized, but couldn't believe was actually standing there. A dark yellow coat, the cutie mark of a compass rose, a mane and tail a veritable spectrum of grays and black, all contrasted by her large magenta eyes. The beige cowpony gaped at the mare, whom returned his gaze with a polite smile.
He had recently been introduced to the world of books, and was intrigued by a certain adventure series, featuring a protagonist that was always illustrated on the cover. This pegasus didn't just match the description, she was the description. His father gave the stallion a covert grin, exiting the room quietly.
"Hello there," she greeted brightly. "I assume you're Braeburn."
The cowpony shifted his eyes to his cousin, whom was only giving the mare an inquisitive look. Their guest tilted her head slightly.
"Annnd I guess you've read the books," she noted with the ghost of a crestfallen expression.
"W-Wait," Braeburn stammered. "Yer...Yer Daring Do!"
Applejack's eyes widened in sudden realization. "That's where Ah know ya' from! A friend o' mine in Ponyville reads yer books!" she exclaimed. "Hold on a second, yer real?!"
The mare nodded slightly. Braeburn couldn't believe it. He had read her books several times, but never once did he find a note that said 'based on a true story.' Daring Do was known as a fictitious character, not a real pony. So what in Equestria was she doing, simply existing here? How had he never heard of her before? The stallion's previous question now only burned hotter in his mind: What did this mare want with him?
"Well, kind of," answered Daring before turning back to Braeburn. "I can explain all of that. Maybe we should sit down. I'm sure you'll want to hear the whole thing."
"Yeah Ah think we would," said Braeburn. He gestured to his father's sitting chair politely, and the pegasus sat after removing her traveling cloak and saddlebags. He expected to see her trademark forest-green pocketed shirt, but was somehow surprised to see it gone along with her pith helmet. Braeburn and Applejack slowly sat back on the couch, trying not to blankly stare at her.
Bullet Tyme returned into the room, with a mug of cold cider. "Thought you'd want something ta' drink. It's a mite hot out there."
"Oh, thanks," Daring murmured as she accepted the drink, taking an eager gulp. Wherever she had come from, the pegasus looked as if she had been awake for days. Braeburn hadn't noticed it before, but their guest looked completely fatigued. Her eyes bore dark circles under them, their lids low. Even the way she held herself seemed exhausted. Daring slumped into the chair, obviously reveling in its unparalleled comfort. Before he knew it she had drained the mug, placing it on the coffee table between them. Braeburn's father had left the room without a word again, heading down the hall and into the gun range.
"Are y'alright there, um...Daring? Ya' look tired," Applejack asked with an air of concern.
"Yeah I'm fine, thank you," Daring replied. "Well anyway Braeburn, I'm sure you're wondering what I'm doing here. But before I get to that, I should explain my...well, existence."
"Uhm, yeah. That'd be just dandy," he replied softly.
"I'm actually an archeologist," she started, slowly leaning forward with her elbows resting on her knees. "I won't bother with the details, but I'll tell you the gist of it. My team and I began our first expedition years ago, to find the tomb of the Sapphire Statue. Before we were credited by the museum we brought the treasure back to, a publicist contacted me about a book series for colts and fillies. While I didn't want my name and work to be presented in such a way, my team's funds were low. We had so many more journeys to make all over the world, but we didn't have the money. Eventually I conceded to the idea. Due to the author's...extravagant nature of writing, I asked for the series to be described as fictional. Sure, our names were never up in lights because of this, but we were able to do what we loved. And to us, it was all that mattered."
"However...there was something that I had overlooked. I never imagined that the series would become such an overnight success. I couldn't show my face anywhere without ponies asking 'why are you dressed like Daring Do,' or 'wow you must be a huge Daring fan.' It was agonizing. Eventually I moved away from Canterlot, where I had previously lived. I left for Dodge Junction, and have been residing there since. It's a small town, nice and far away from everypony who ever even heard of my name. Obviously you two know of the books, and I apologize to tell you of their reality, but I needed to."
"No it's...it's alright," stammered Braeburn, attempting to take in the information. "It's just...wow."
"Yeah," Daring agreed with a halfhearted smile. "So that leads me to my current quest, one that my team has utterly refused to take on due to its unknown nature. Have you two ever heard the tales of Cunning the Colt?"
Braeburn cocked an eyebrow. "Well o' course. Who out West hasn't? He's supposed to be a criminal cowpony that lived hundreds o' years ago. He was said to be arrested after robbing Dodge Junction's town bank. After that he escaped and got in a gun fight with the town's sheriff. In the end he got away with the money, disappearin' into the night. But Cunning's just a folktale."
Daring Do grinned, her previously tired rose eyes blazing with sudden life. "Or was he?"
The pegasus leaned over the arm of the large chair, rummaging through one of her black saddlebags. Braeburn and Applejack exchanged another confused look as Daring pulled out a large, rolled-up expanse of parchment, spreading it out over the empty table. Scrawled across the paper were a plethora of rushed notes, all surrounding a map of Dodge Junction and the desert circling its borders. Several X's had been marked in seemingly random points of the town, a few bearing arrows leading to some of the notes, illegible due to their horrid quill-work. Braeburn had guessed that Daring was able to read them, evidently being the pony who wrote them. The pegasus had grown visibly excited, as if she were about to reveal something huge.
"Now naturally, you don't get as far as I have in my field without hearing every bit of folktale in Equestria. But one in particular has always interested me: The Colt of the West. What was so intriguing about the story was how detailed it was. Normally tales like this are short, vague and generally have some sort of lesson to learn from them, right? Well not in this one. While you were correct about Cunning's story Braeburn, there were a few things that you didn't mention, such as the specific chain of events that led to his escape."
Daring was right. He had heard the story told a hundred times in his life, having moved from Dodge Junction almost three years ago to help establish the new town of Appleloosa. But never was The Colt of the West told consistently. Every pony seemed to have heard about Cunning the Colt in a slightly different way, but never had Braeburn put much thought into it, for he knew it to be fiction. But then again, he thought Daring Do to be fictitious as well.
"Let's run through them," Daring continued, indicating the bank on the map with a hoof. "He starts out at the bank, as said in the tale, takes the money and then is immediately arrested. Now how did that happen? While the story that took place in Dodge Junction is of course the most well-known, it wasn't Cunning's only alleged robbery. He was said to be a legendary criminal, evading the law in every town he plundered, right? So why was Dodge Junction so special? Cunning had fooled other ponies of the law many a time before, so how was he stopped here? I'll tell you why; because he wanted to get caught."
"Okay, now this story's gettin' a little farfetched, if ya' don't mind me sayin'," Applejack said once the pegasus paused. Braeburn shared her skepticism. So far Daring Do hadn't shown them any sort of proof that Cunning the Colt was indeed a real pony. However, that excited, restless gaze in her rose eyes kept his attention.
"Oh, it get's better," Daring assured with a grin. "Cunning the Colt would have been a household name by this time, if all of his exploits had truly occurred. He would have known of his fame, so maybe he wanted to leave something behind, something that would make his mark generations after his time. Why do I say this? Because of what I found in the jail."
Daring trailed her hoof over to the crude drawing of Dodge Junction's small prison, right next to the sheriff's office on the Northwest corner of the map. "Thankfully each cell was empty, and the warden granted me permission to investigate them. I wanted to see if Cunning had left something behind that would have proved his existence. Each brick and floorboard has been untouched since the town was founded over three-hundred years ago. At first glance everything seemed normal, but I had a hunch that one of those rooms held something hidden. It took hours, but eventually I stepped on the only creaky floorboard in the entire building. It was in the corner of the last cell. Curious, I knelt down and prodded the ancient wood. It was loose. I forced it out and inspected it, finding this carved into the corner."
Daring Do pointed to a note, connected to the drawing of the jail with an arrow. It looked as if she had tried to copy another pony's quill-work. The sentence was simple, and looked as if it were carved into the paper with a dull knife:
Find my legacy. One of Three: The last place you'd expect. -C.T.C. Braeburn's eyebrows shot up, the coat on the back of his neck standing on end.
"His legacy; his treasure," Daring said. "One of three; the first of three clues. The last place you'd expect; where the second clue is. C.T.C.; Cunning. The. Colt."
"No way," Braeburn breathed. His cousin was speechless, her jaw agape. "Wait, his treasure?"
"Well that's just something to call whatever his 'legacy' is. It's a good motivator," Daring answered, waving a dismissive hoof. "I understand that this is difficult to take in, being raised with the idea of him being a tale, but that isn't the only clue that I found."
"It...It's not?" the orange mare asked, her green eyes widening. Daring Do only smiled at her. She traced a path with her hoof to the next X on the map, marked over a simple square. Applejack furrowed her brow, squinting at the drawing as if it would focus into something more distinctive. "And that there doohickey is...?"
"A house," the pegasus said matter-of-factly. "What? Okay, I never said I was an artist. Anyway, after escaping his imprisonment Cunning was said to have hidden from the law for a day. However, it was never said where he had fled to. That's where the note I found in the jail comes into play. The clue implied that the next step in finding the treasure was in the last place I would expect, so where would that be? I searched tirelessly for days around Dodge Junction, but came up with nothing. But then two nights ago it hit me. Where would be the most obvious place to hide after escaping prison? Somewhere far away right? But we're not looking for the obvious, for it would be against what the clue implied. No, I had to focus my search closer, much closer. Right next to the jail is the sheriff's office, and South of those two buildings are a few houses. There's no way Cunning could have hidden in the sheriff's area, so what if he hid in one of these homes? It would be easy for him to force a family to let him hide in a closet or something. I had to find out, the possibility was just too great.
"That night I asked each of the residents of the three homes to let me investigate every room one house at a time. They were reluctant of course, but eventually I got them to comply. In the second house I found a crawlspace that the current owner didn't even know existed. And again, I found a note carved into a floorboard."
Daring indicated the copied sentence on the side of her map: You're getting closer. Two of Three: Right outside. -C.T.C.
The dark-yellow pegasus sighed. "And this...is where I'm at a loss. Since that night I haven't been able to make heads or tails of this. At first I thought right outside of the house, but again, I found nothing. The clue is just too vague. I mean come on, 'right outside' of what? I realized that I had been at this for a week and needed to let my brain rest, so I took the train here to find you Braeburn."
Braeburn exhaled through his nose, his eyes darting around the map. If these clues really were in these places, then when in history did Cunning the Colt become a folktale? Perhaps after generations of passing the tale along, ponies just started treating it as such. Although, that wasn't the issue that mattered to him.
"Why me?" asked Braeburn suddenly, his curiosity getting the best of him. "Of all ponies, why did you look fer me?"
"Well, as I said, my team refused to take on this expedition," Daring answered promptly. "They said that I was losing it, going after something everypony knew didn't really exist. I've gone into seemingly small journeys alone before, and each time it was a mistake. I've broken my wing, had two concussions and several other small injuries, not to mention on my last expedition I almost lost my life. Don't get me wrong, I've never been afraid of anything. However, I feel that it'd be wise to have a partner this time. I'm not saying that this quest will be dangerous, far from it in fact. Those expeditions were in ancient temples far off the map, and some of the ruins were rigged with deadly booby-traps. This time is different. We're not trekking miles into the jungle to search through a dangerous tomb, just in Dodge Junction. Nice and safe."
"Ah don't mean to be rude, but that doesn't answer my question," the stallion said. "Why me?"
This time Daring took a moment to answer. She went to open her mouth, and then closed it, looking to the floor.
"Because...well...I don't know how to say this but...You actually saved my life."
Braeburn's eyebrows shot to the ceiling. "Come again?"
"Do you remember what you did in Dodge Junction a few months ago?" Daring asked meekly. The beige stallion put a hoof to his chin in concentration. His memory may not have been the best in the world, but the event she was talking about was unforgettable. However, he couldn't recall Daring Do being there at all.
"What is she talking 'bout Brae?" asked Applejack with evident curiosity.
"So...you were there? But how? Ah don't remember even seein' you," Braeburn said, ignoring his cousin. Daring gave him a small smile.
"Oh I was there," she said. "I was the pony you saved that day."
The riflepony felt a shiver trace his spine as his eyes widened in realization. Applejack, however, was more agitated than excited. She let out a hot breath of air through her nose, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Alright, somepony please tell me what's goin' on here."
"I was in the town market shopping, disguised as a withered old mare to deter the looks of any possible fans of the book series. It was before I knew that nopony in the town had even heard of them, but I needed to be sure. Anyway I was looking through a fruit merchant's wares when I heard a gunshot. A masked stallion ran out the door of the saloon that the merchant's stand was next to. He was carrying a rifle on his back and a bag of bits in his teeth. Before I could react, the robber ran right into me, knocking both of us to the ground. The stolen money flew out of his grasp, and he decided to blame me for it. I watched helplessly as the robber pointed his gun at me, hoof on the trigger. But then you came Braeburn. You ran over and tackled that stallion right before he could end my life. You kicked the gun away, and the sheriff arrested him right there. If it weren't for your bravery, I'd be dead and buried right now."
"What?!" Applejack exclaimed, turning to her cousin. "Braeburn...you really did that? Why didn't ya' tell me?"
"That...That was you?" Braeburn asked quietly, still not giving the orange mare's questions any thought.
He remembered the event like it was yesterday. Braeburn was visiting his old home delivering apples to one of their oldest customers. The old stallion was far too frail to make the train ride to Appleloosa, but his large orders for his bakery made the trip worth it. It was the usual monthly ride to Dodge Junction, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Of course, that was until he saw a masked criminal pointing a rifle at a helpless old mare on the ground. Braeburn wasn't necessarily a bold pony, but he couldn't bear the thought of standing idly by and letting the defenseless mare die. He had acted purely out of instinct, not bravery. Regardless, he successfully got the weapon out of the robber's hooves. Thankfully the sheriff was already on his way, so Braeburn only had to take a single buck to the chest before the stallion was arrested.
Daring Do must have been quite the master of disguise, for Braeburn had picked what he thought to be a very old mare off the ground. She thanked him gratefully in a convincing voice before the beige stallion left to complete his delivery. Now that he thought about it, Daring's eyes and coat color were exactly the same as the elder mare's. The pegasus wasn't lying, it was her.
"Indeed," Daring answered. "I asked a pony that knew you what your name was, and where you lived. I wanted to find some way to repay you for saving my life, and this treasure seemed like a good way to do it. I've heard of your farm's recent...decline due to this heat wave. You need some way to get by until autumn right? Well I'll tell you what, the museum that I intend to take Cunning the Colt's 'legacy' to will pay me a fortune to find something that everypony thinks is fiction, especially from a tale so well-known. If you help me find the treasure, you can take every bit of pay from the museum. I have no use for it, those books pay me royalties every week. Plus, if any pony deserves that money, it's you Braeburn. It will be more than enough to revive the farm, I can promise you that."
Braeburn felt his mouth fall open slightly. More than enough money to revive the farm? "You'd do that?"
"Of course. Like I said, I owe you for saving my life."
"But Ah was just doin' what anypony else would've done."
"But they didn't. Only you did," Daring said with a grateful smile. "He could have killed you Braeburn, but that didn't stop you. Such selfless acts never get rewarded these days, and I want to change that. Help me find Cunning the Colt's treasure, and you can keep the entirety of the pay. Plus, I've had bushels of apples delivered from here in the past. I can't let such a good business fall because of weather. Say yes Braeburn. Let me repay you."
Braeburn leaned forward with his forelegs crossed over his lap, his eyes on the floor. His immediate response to such a kind offer was to reject it. He couldn't take advantage of Daring's gratitude like this. The pegasus was offering a fortune to simply help her solve a mystery she was already halfway done with. If everything she said was true, then there was no denying it: Cunning the Colt was not only a real pony, but he left behind a treasure.
But on the other hoof, he couldn't afford to not accept her generous offer. Braeburn had said it before; he needed to be realistic. The farm's apples weren't fit to sell, and the next shooting competition wasn't for another few months.
Braeburn looked to Applejack, as if to seek her advice. All he got in return was a look that could have only said: Why haven't you said yes yet? He chuckled quietly at her expression before finally looking back to the pegasus. Daring Do had hope in her eyes, as if her heart longed for him to let her do this.
"Well..." Braeburn exhaled. "Fine. When do we leave?"
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Now that's what I call a solid set-up!
476408 Why thank ya kindly. Took a while but it was needed
Huzzah! It's back an better than ever! Write on, good sir. Write on.
Thumbed up and added to the favourite list, you deserve it.
If there's one thing that conflicts me a bit about the story, is the fact guns are featured almost too prominently. We're talking a children's TV show and you're wringing around tools that can take away life on a whim. It's just something that doesn't quite agree with my headcanon.
But insofar, you handled such magnificently, and they serve to work with the story, and not hang around as decorations, so I am very much willing to close my eyes on that, heck, even enjoy it.
I also like how you handled Applejack's and Braeburn's characterisation - the Apple mare is very much a down-to-earth pony (mind the pun) and as a distant relative, doesn't seem all that knowledgeable about Appleloosas' going-ons. Braeburn is also slightly different from the show's conterpart, but the part about making friends and his exaltation in such case just made it all straight laid and reasonable. Reminds me a bit of Mac in his work devotion, too.
Moreover, I love how you handled Doo's persona. At first I was slightly worried she was indeed book-character given life via one way or another, the title and high-adventure type of story would incline to that. And after teasing both us, the readers, and the two other Apple characters, you go and subvert it masterfully. She's close to Rainbow Dash in what we've seen so far, if the blue pegasus was experienced, collected and analytical. That and her Mastery of Disguise character feat, made me chuckle.
I'm somewhat unsure of Bullet Tyme, though I tend to explain it to myself so he was the one who got assimilated into the Apple family, with Braeburn's mother carrying an apple cutie-mark.
And Brae's uncanny ability to shoot a rifle, while having a single apple for his mark. Plot twists incoming, perhaps?
Those are all my comments insofar. Great story, and I'm eagerly awaiting chapter 3.
Good luck writing this!
542926 Here's the kind of comment I've been waiting for: an analyzation of the story so far. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. Really wanted to know what people thought of the specifics of the story.
My take on Daring Do was something I was kind of worried about at first, for I didn't know how readers would react to it. It's good to know that her character is acceptable.
The other obvious point is the factor of arms. I'm just going to say this now, while I appreciate your say in this matter, it's rated Everyone because not a single character nor creature is harmed from the use of such weaponry. However, Braeburn's family rifle does play key roles in the story.
I guess this leads to your query about Braeburn's natural talent in the use of guns. I was hoping someone would inquire about this. I wanted to show that a character can be talented in more ways than one, and that not every family has to have such a linear path in life. "well, you were born into the Apple Family so I guess all you can do is work on the farm." Pfft hay no!
But again, thank you for your feedback. It certainly helps a lot.
I'm not bothered by the use of guns at all in this fic because it's handled very tastefully. My only complaint is that there was no real explanation to why he had never fired a gun before, but it didn't even bother me that much.
I was very glad to see this story pop up. I had just taken 2 fics off my fav list because they weren't as good as there first chapter, but this one looks pretty awesome, plus Braeburn!
<nonexsisten breaburn emoticon>
I concur - I think guns are acceptable here for two reasons:
1) There aren't as many unicorns or pegasi out west, mostly earth ponies, and guns are one of the only ways earth ponies could get a leg up on each other in such a lawless place; and
2) Unicorns could shut down guns in a heartbeat with a simple shield spell or something, so they're not quite the "death; destroyer of worlds" objects that they are in our reality. In the real old west, they were even more important tools than a shovel or plow, so it stands to reason you could have them exist here.
That gotten out of the way, I loved your explanation for Daring's existence. Thank the filly Celestia you didn't succumb to some stupid trope. Simple explanations are somehow more satisfying.
Structurally, a sound story. Tight editing. One problem though, in the first paragraph:
"...filling the air with the tangent smell of gunpowder"
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pungent?s=t&ld=1029
I'm pretty sure you mean "pungent" or something similar. Personally, I like "acrid" to describe that smell. I do love the smell of a spent casing, though.
Just came across the story and have a couple small issues for you:
"...one of their eldest customers."
In this context you should be using oldest. Eldest is generally reserved for comparing family members.
"...those books grant me a pay cut every week."
So they reduce her pay on a weekly basis? Perhaps "...I get a cut of the royalties from the books."
2nd Western that I read today.
Why are both of them so good?
To me, this definitely feels like it blends an Indiana Jones story with a Western. Colour me interested.
I need to watch more Westerns.
I'm hooked. Take my like and favorite.
This is the first FanFic I have EVER read, and I love it already! You are an amazing writer! (I have read the first part too, and plan to continue.)
Huh, wow. A pretty solid plot set-up. I'm... impressed. Reading more.
Alright, you've got me hooked. will finish later!
Calling it now: Cunning's treasure was his family. Of which Braeburn is a member.
Every good western needs to have a huge money amount hidden by an outlaw to be sought by the heroes...
And maybe by other greedy gunslingers
I sense awesomeness ahead
now Indie's theme song is playing in my head, thank you
I need to go to bed, becuase I get up at 6:30 tomorrow...
...
...
Just one more!
Daring slumped into the chair, obviously reveling in its unparalleled comfort. Before he knew it she had drained the mug,placing it on the coffee table between them.
-
Braeburn and Applejack exchanged another confused look as Daring pulled out a large, rolled-up expanse of parchment, spreading it out over the empty table.
Oops!
Hmm, I don't want to comment, 501 is my favourite number...
Anywho, this is clearly awesome, and I can't wait to
stealemulate your style one day.Oh, and:
" He and Applejack let out a sigh of content, tired from the afternoon of shooting."
Is Cunning the Colt based off of Billy the Kid by any chance???
i like this story! its exiting!
Hmmm.... I bet Braeburn's great grandfather is C.T.C, and the rifle is his legacy.
But whatever the author has in store for is bound to be awesome
the guy under me better have not ruind the story for me
2234238 I propose a tag-team, if he has ruined it I mean.
2234238
Ok, seriously, your avatar is hilarious.
INDIANA JONES!!! INDIANA JONES EVERYWHERE!!!!
484969 *begins humming magnificent seven theme*
Great story, but WHY BREAK CANON?! Yearling and Do are one and the same!
Screw canon, this looks fun!
Two chapters in, and i barely remember anything from my fist reading, besides that its about brae and daring. I guess that's acceptable for being ~8 years after the fact, haha.
Even so, the flow of the story still feels... Right. Idk if that's because i remember tiny bits, or just because looking for it, but still, i think im gonna enjoy this one.