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Chapter 1: A New Beginning1,298 words
Chapter 2: Delta's Prison1,434 words
Chapter 3: Snowing in the Rain926 words
Chapter 4: Drowning in a Rustbowl1,220 words
Chapter 5: The Gate to Paradise1,371 words
Chapter 6: Junkyard Jam2,115 words
Chapter 7: Falling2,293 words
Chapter 8: Powerful Allies1,266 words
Chapter 9: Blue Mane1,182 words
Chapter 10: Gus1,976 words
Chapter 11: True Power2,555 words

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

"Six? Breakfast is done!"

Six Shooter whistled happily as she brushed her brown and black mane. The mirror... was cracked, but she could still see her reflection. She finished brushing and lightly levitated the brush down to the chipped porcelain sink.

"Six? Are you coming?" her mother yelled again from down the hall.

"Coming mom!" Six replied, while opening the bathroom door with her magic. The kitchen/living room was cleaned recently; no doubt it was her mother's doing. Fresh salads were set neatly around an old circular table—one of only a hoof-full of things they scavenged when they moved here. Six plopped down in her spot, but before she could start eating, her mother sat next to her, a worried look written across her face.

"Honey... are you sure about this?" her mother asked. Six rolled her eyes then smiled.

"It'll be fine mom," she started. "I know the trading routes like the back of my hoof!"

"I know you and Reins travel them for work... but New LP is miles from here... it could be dangerous!" Her mother looked away.

"It's okay, I'll be fine, besides, you have Buck to protect you!" As if on cue, a young brown colt, no more than ten, burst through the door. "Speak of the little devil," Six giggled.

Buck shot her a glare.

"Don't call me little!" he demanded as he climbed into his chair. Following right behind Buck was a pegasus pony named Gus. It wasn't his real name, but it was what he wanted to be called.

"H-Hi Gus!" Mom stammered.

"Ma'am, Six," he said with a smile as he stroked his thick beard. Behind him quietly trotted a pink pegasus filly.

"Sit next to me Molly!" Buck shouted, even though she was only a few meters away.

"So," Gus started as he took a seat at the table. "You're heading out today huh?"

"Yep," Six replied. "Going to meet up with Reins at that old convenience store. We'll take the trade route until we hit Rustbowl, then circle around and head straight for LP... i-if the map’s right."
Gus opened his right wing, used it to reach into his saddle bags, and produced a cigar. Mom scrambled up and used her magic to ignite it.

"You didn't have to, ma'am," Gus told her. Mom didn't care. "The map'll work Six, made it m'self back in the day." Gus stated puffing on his cigar.

"Good, shouldn't run into any trouble then!" Six smiled while using her magic to levitate a tomato slice into her mouth. She couldn't believe today was the day she would be moving out. Finding a home of her own. Maybe even striking it rich in LP!

"Always expect trouble out there. The ruins ain't a place to take lightly," Gus told her. She looked at him, trying to read him, but it was useless. They'd met Gus and Molly 3 years ago when they settled here. Turned out Gus and Molly had a house just up the hill. A shack really. Mom took to Gus like a bee to honey. Six didn't mind, she liked Gus, even though they barely knew him.

"I'm done!" Buck announced as he held his empty salad bowl up in the air.

"D-Don't yell so loud Buck..." Molly whispered.

Six turned back to Gus but he was just puffing on his cigar, his salad untouched.

"I have somethin' for ya to use in LP, Six." Gus told her.

"Yeah?"

"Eeyup. When do you plan to head out?"

"Soon, safer to travel in the daylight." As the words left her mouth she could see her mother frown and look away.

"Six'll be fine," Buck chimed in. Gus smiled at the colt.

"That she will. The filly is a crackshot. One of the best I've ever seen," Gus chuckled, puffing on his cigar more. "It's a shame I never got to meet your pa."

Six gave a nervous laugh and turned to her mom. "Dad taught me all I know about guns. You would have gotten along with him, Gus."

Gus noticed Six's reaction and adjusted himself in his chair. "Sorry ma'am... Shouldn't have mentioned him."

Buck and Molly got up and trotted outside to play leaving the three there to eat in silence. Six gave a stretch as she chewed on the final tomato slice.

"Honey?" her mother asked.

"Yeah?"

"You'll come visit, right?"

"Well yeah!"

A smile formed on her mother's face.

Bang

Gus sprang out of his chair and and turned quickly.

Bang Bang

Six's eyes went wide as she heard Buck scream outside. In a flash Gus was out the door.

"Buck!!" her mother screamed. Quickly, Six sprang up and ran for the door.

Bang

The morning sun was hanging high in the sky. Six tried to shield her eyes but was blinded.

"Six get down!!" Gus yelled out. Without thinking, she dove right as a stray bullet flew by, barely missing her head and landing directly into the wooden door.

Bang Bang Bang

Six's vision slowly came back and she crawled as quickly as she could for the shed. There was an old revolver in there, if she could just-

There was another scream. It was Molly.

"You bastards!!" Gus screamed. The shed was only a few meters away now. Six quickly rose to her hooves, slammed through the door, and ran head first into a barrel that was stored inside the shed. Six stopped moving and searched.

"Here!" she said while quickly levitating the old revolver down from a shelf above her.

"Six shots... please be enough..." she told herself while she slowed her breathing. With the gun levitating in front of her, she opened the door and sprinted to the wagon next to the house.

"There!" a voice called out. Six lept and rolled behind the wagon as a loud shot rocked her ears. She levitated the gun and fired randomly. Nothing.

She sat there, completely still, her heart racing and adrenaline coursing through her veins. Then, she heard hoofsteps. Quickly she sprung up from cover, her old revolver already aiming at the source of the sound. There he was, a large stallion, eyes bloodshot, with a wrap around his muzzle. But she didn't fire. The stallion wore an aiming apparatus on his right front leg and had his large .50 caliber handgun trained on her.

"Who are you!?" Six spat out.

"Put down the gun little Filly... we'll talk it allll out," the attacker laughed. "Nice... and easy."

Bang

From atop a hill a rifle was fired. A sizable hole was now where the attacker’s face should be. He collapsed on the ground. Six took cover again. The shot came from the hill on her right. It was Reins... it had to be. She scanned the hillside but couldn't find him.

"Don't move," a voice said softly from behind her... she wasn't watching her back... why didn-

"Unload that revolver... and I won’t kill you," the voice said again. Whoever he was, he spoke in a calm tone. Nothing like the stallion from earlier. Without turning around, Six spoke up.

"You'll just kill me after..." Slowly, Six turned and locked eyes with her attacker—a slender looking unicorn stallion with a giant Colt Python aimed inches from her head. He had a messy grey mane and a scar over his left eye. He was different. He sported a bulletproof vest over his torso with speed loader pockets. He wasn't an average raider.

"You out there!" he shouted to the hills. "Follow us and die. Leave and live, the choice is yours." In a quick motion, the stallion turned back to Six and slammed the butt of his revolver against her head. She fell to the dirt with a thud and was out cold.

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