Bulletproof Heart

by PaulAsaran

Episode 21: Ponyville

11^th of Rising Heat, 1006 BA

The camp of the Sixth Artillery Brigade wasn’t hard to spot, even with the rough terrain. Rarity first noticed it from about three hours away thanks to the big guns placed upon the hills surrounding the camp. There were six of them, each aimed northwest, presumably at the town of Ponyville. Pinkie, riding on Ophelia behind Rarity, had led them in a wide circle south of the town.

The mare wasn’t as talkative as Rarity had expected, though she did talk. She regaled Rarity and Cranky about her love of baked goods, how she found Gummy as an egg during a raid on a bandit camp north of Hoofington, and how she absolutely adored her elder sister Maud. Yet she did all this quietly, speaking at a strangely slow and even pace that hadn’t matched her earlier excitement. When Rarity asked about it, Pinkie had reminded her that they were now deep in the Bad Apple Gang’s territory. That was as much as she would say on the matter.

They reached the bottom of one of the hills with an artillery piece, at which point Pinkie leapt off Ophelia. “I’m gonna run ahead and let the others know you’re coming,” she said cheerfully. “Don’t want them thinking you’re bandits or something, right?” She darted up the hill with a speed that made Rarity wonder if the mare could out sprint a Leaper.

As soon as Pinkie disappeared over the hill, Cranky turned a scathingly critical eye on Rarity. “Let me remind you that I think this is a bad idea.”

Keeping her head high, Rarity replied, “Do you have any plans for how we’re going to get into Ponyville unseen?” He didn’t answer. “I didn’t think so. Maybe the ponies in this brigade are useless, but they should at least have a better idea of what we’re up against than we do.”

He pursed his lips and scratched at his ear. They began to ascend the hill. “And if it turns out they’re working for the Bad Apples in the first place?”

The thought had crossed her mind. She trusted Pinkie, if only because of her trust in Marble and Maud, but she had no means of vouching for the soldiers under Pinkie’s command. “If that proves the case, we’ll just have to deal with it.” To that he had nothing to add.

Their path brought them close to the artillery piece on top of the hill. It was made of what appeared to be copper or brass. The weapon stood a good five feet taller than Rarity even as she rode on Ophelia, its barrel jutting into the sky at a sharp angle. Although she couldn’t hope to understand how the device worked, she could at least tell that it had thick wooden wheels and was meant to be hauled around by sand lizards. Judging by the lack of tracks in the dirt, she suspected it had been sitting there for some time. At least the soldiers had been maintaining the thing, or so it seemed from her roving inspection. There wasn’t a speck of dust on the artillery piece, and every part glistened in the sunlight as if freshly polished.

“Miss Belle.” Cranky jutted his chin in the direction the gun was pointed. She followed the gesture with her eyes and got her first distant look at the town of Ponyville.

It was smaller than she’d anticipated. Set in a valley and surrounded by shallow hills, Ponyville consisted of many one-and-two story homes of stone and wood. Even at this distance, the town hall was obvious, being a cylindrical tower at least four stories high that dwarfed the structures around it. If Rarity had to guess by the size, she’d have placed its population at no more than five hundred. It would have been quite the quaint destination in its prime.

Of the state of the buildings themselves, Rarity couldn’t guess. They were mostly made of stone and plaster, or so it seemed, and appeared quite sturdy. Rarity had expected the town to appear run down and dirty, and perhaps it was, but from where she sat there was no sign of it. Perhaps that was only due to distance. She’d be in the town soon enough.

Somewhere down there, Coco and Sweetie awaited rescue. She had to believe that. The only thing standing in her way was a small army of bandits. Surely she could handle that. If only her mind hadn’t taken the concept so sarcastically.

Wrenching her gaze from her ultimate destination, Rarity took in the camp below. She raised her head and leaned forward, taking in the sight and wondering why the place was called a ‘camp’. It consisted of four buildings of varying sizes set at the foot of the hill, the entirety of which was surrounded by a palisade of sharpened stakes. Ponies moved about the area at a leisurely pace, none seeming to notice or care about the arrival of Rarity and Cranky.

The buildings hadn’t been maintained, certainly not to the same level as the artillery pieces. The smallest structure had visible holes in the roof, and the closest building’s windows were nearly all shattered. The stairs leading into the largest building had collapsed, their only replacement a trio of two-by-fours set side-by-side to form a ramp.

“This place,” Cranky said with mock seriousness, “really gives me seconds thoughts. Why did I ever doubt that Pie kid?”

“Your lack of faith is noted,” Rarity replied sourly. “I don’t care how it looks, I care about results.” She caught him staring at her. “What?”

He shrugged, lit an extract stick. “Nothing. Just never thought I’d hear those words coming out of your mouth.”

At that, she smiled. “You and me, both.”

They rode down the hill, making for an opening in the palisade that was not far below. Pinkie Pie was talking to a trio of ponies in uniform, who all ran off shortly before the two of them reached the bottom of the hill. She turned and waved at them as they approached. “Hey, you two! So I just told the boys that you’re welcome here and not to cause any funny business. I haven’t told them why you’re here, though. Might wanna keep that to yourself for now.”

“What’s the matter?” Cranky asked, dismounting from Cerulean. “Are they afraid they’ll get volunteered to help?” The words were scathing in delivery.

“They won’t want to know you’re planning to stir up trouble,” Pinkie replied, quieter now that they were close. “Because that’s exactly what’s going to happen. They look at Ponyville as a hornet’s nest, and they’re really wary of stirring it.” She blinked and turned her gaze towards a group of soldiers lounging near the entrance of the nearest building. “I don’t know where they got that analogy from. Kinda silly, if you ask me.”

Rarity remained atop Ophelia, her head turning slowly as she took in the camp from up close. It looked even less pleasant now that she was in it. The soldiers showed almost no sense of order or discipline. She had half a mind to add hygiene to that list but, given she’d been unable to procure a bath since Bitter Ergot and that was only cold water pulled from a well and dumped in a large tub, she wasn’t sure she had a leg to stand on there. Still, there was a well right there in the center of the camp, so surely they could at least rinse the dirt off.

Cranky was right, this place hardly inspired faith.

“I know it doesn’t look like much,” Pinkie acknowledge cheerfully, “but it has what we need! That building to your left is the barracks, where my soldiers sleep and do non-soldiery things. Even though we’re called a brigade, we’ve only got 322 ponies, so we’re more like a battalion, really.” She turned to point to a long building near the northern exit. “Over there’s the cafeteria. They had to do with whatever headquarters gave us when I arrived, but thanks to money from the farm I’m at least able to get my boys some proper chow. I can even bake goodies there every now and then!”

She then aimed her finger at the tiny, dilapidated structure near the center of the camp. “That there’s the post office. We get delivery by pegasus about once a week.” She sighed and shook her head. “It serves Ponyville, too. They started that before I became Commander, and headquarters won’t let me do anything about it. ‘Too risky.’”

They were handling the Bad Apple Gang’s mail? There was something fundamentally wrong with this picture. Cranky shot her a look of warning, which Rarity did her best to ignore. Surely, there was a good reason for this. She’d make sure to ask Pinkie about it later. For her part, Pinkie was glaring at the post office and running her finger along the top of her hatchet. That, at least, was reassuring.

“And last but not least, we have the camp headquarters.” Pinkie gestured to the largest building in the camp, dominating the east side of the valley. It looked no better up close than it did at a distance, with peeling paint and one of the two doors of its entrance missing. “You’ll be staying in the visitor’s quarters there, next to my room.”

“I don’t think so.” Rarity looked down her muzzle at Pinkie. “We have no intention of staying. I want to move on Po—” Pinkie’s eyes narrowed threateningly. “I want to do what I came here to do and leave as soon as possible. Staying the night is out of the question.”

The dark look faded as quickly as it had come. Pinkie grinned and waved her hands in the air. “No way! You’re staying the night so that we can have a party and you can meet all my best friends here at the base and I’ll even pull from my special stores and bake you a super-duper awesome and scrumptioseriffic cake! I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Cranky groaned and led Cerulean past her, making for the northern exit. “We don’t have time for your silly games.”

“Then you can just make the time!” Pinkie caught Cranky’s arm, forcing him to a stop. “You don’t wanna leave before the party.”

“I’m afraid Cranky’s right, Pinkie. We—”

The look Pinkie gave Rarity stopped her argument cold. It wasn’t that it was hard or angry or threatening. It was that it was filled with strangeness: the way her wide-spread lips strained around her teeth, how her eyes offered no mirth. The Major spoke her words with a tone struggling towards cheer but containing no small hint of warning.

“No, Rarity. Trust me. It would be dangerously rude to miss this party.”

They held one another’s gazes for a few seconds, a steadily rising discomfort filling Rarity. Her eyes flicked to the surrounding hills. She recalled Pinkie’s earlier warnings. This was Apple Gang turf.

“Cranky?” She met the donkey’s gaze and saw in his grim frown that he’d caught on to the message as well. “I think we’re attending a party tonight.”

---

As Rarity had expected, the ‘party’ had been such only in name, and the soldiers making up the Sixth treated it as any other dinner at the cafeteria. Rarity and Cranky had eaten pancakes and general breakfast food – an oddity for the evening, to be sure, but no less a welcome reprieve from the canned vegetables and occasional stew of the road. No announcements were made regarding why Rarity and Cranky were at the base, and nopony asked. Nozebra, either; there were two of them present, mingling with the crowd with no apparent difficulty. And a quartet of diamond dogs.

After the meal and cupcakes – shockingly good, even by Rarity’s standards – Rarity found herself in a small room in the back of the building. With her were Cranky, Pinkie, one of the diamond dogs and a tall blue pegasus mare with a pink, off-white mane. They were settled around a table that looked sturdier than the rest of the building, though the chairs were a mismatched collection that might give Rarity a headache if she saw them together for too long a period of time.

“Alright, Major Pie,” the pegasus said, her tone striking Rarity as ‘noble’. “What is this all about? And who are these ponies…?” She paused upon glancing at Cranky. “My pardon: pony and donkey.” She had the grace to sound sincere in that little apology.

Pinkie banged her baton on the table as though it were a gavel. “Right, introductions! Everyone, I’d like to introduce Rarity Belle and Whyare Youhere.” She added with utmost seriousness, “And nobody is allowed to make fun of his name.”

The donkey scowled at Pinkie. “It’s Cranky.”

“Oh, you liked the nickname I gave you? Great! Okay, everypony, you can all call him Cranky.”

He grumbled something under his breath, but made no further comment. Rarity did her absolute best not to giggle.

“Rarity and Cranky are here on business. They might need to get out of the frying pan, and I want us to make sure that doesn’t land them in the fire. That would be really painful and nobody likes getting burned and Rarity is my sisterseses friend so I really don’t want to have to write home and explain how she got crispified like a cupcake left in the oven too long.”

Pinkie turned to Rarity and Cranky while pointing at the mare, who abruptly stood at attention. “Rarity, Cranky, meet Captain Frost Fall. She’s actually from Mooisville.” She then pointed to the diamond dog, who remained slumped in his seat with one arm flung over the armrest. “And that’s Staff Sergeant Iron Dust. They basically help me run the place.”

“Charmed.” Rarity nodded to each in turn. Cranky merely grunted. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he was sulking.

“A pleasure.” Captain Fall was the definition of guarded politeness. “May I ask what exactly the two of you plan on doing that has the Major so interested?”

After a glance at Pinkie to make sure it was okay, Rarity answered with a simple, direct “Going to Ponyville.”

Captain Fall’s eyes narrowed. The Staff Sergeant sat up sharply, his expression more shocked than his companion’s. It was he who blurted out, “What would you want to do that for?”

His perfect Equestrian dialect caught Rarity off guard, but she recovered quickly. “The Bad Apples have my friend and my little sister. I have reason to believe they are being held in Ponyville.”

Shooting a critical glance at Pinkie, Captain Fall asked, “And you intend to rescue them. I trust the Major has emphasized to you just how dangerous that is?”

“She has.” Rarity set her hands to her hips, putting her determination on display. “It won’t stop me from trying.”

“That’s crazy.” Staff Sergeant Dust snapped. “What do you intend to do, storm into the town guns blazing?”

“I agree,” Cranky groused, his sharp eyes on Pinkie. “I’m hoping the Major brought us here to discuss a plan that doesn’t involve suicide.”

Pinkie frowned, rubbing her palm on the top of her baton. “Actually, I brought you here because the Bad Apples do patrols in the area at night and would have surely captured or killed you in your sleep if you hadn’t stayed.”

Ah, right. That sounded like a perfectly reasonable purpose to Rarity. But Cranky’s point remained valid; they needed a plan. Casting her gaze about the officers at the table, she asked, “How does the Sixth usually deal with the gang?”

Captain Fall grimaced and crossed her arms. “It doesn’t.”

“Now that’s not exactly true,” Pinkie countered, though there was an unpleasant bite to her voice. “We let them come in to take their mail, and I have to go into town sometimes to ‘negotiate’ with the leader.”

Cranky’s eyebrow rose. “Negotiate?”

Staff Sergeant Dust let out a low growl. He pulled out a combat knife and began cleaning his claws. “Hoofington’s deal with the Bad Apple Gang is to meet with a representative once every four weeks, or more if either side requires, to ‘negotiate’ the ongoing ceasefire. This almost always means giving some kind of tribute to the Gang in return for a promise to leave official city caravans and traders alone.”

Rarity’s ears shot up. “Hoofington pays tribute to the Gang?”

A firm hand on her shoulder came from Cranky, who gave her a dour but weary look. “I heard about that. Didn’t know if it was true until now.” He looked to Pinkie. “It’s also to prevent the gang from targeting anymore towns, right?”

She nodded, lips twisted into a grimace. “And strongarm the small gangs not belonging to them. My ‘job’ is to be the one that gives the meanies whatever they want.”

“And in the meantime,” Captain Frost said coolly, “there’s no arm of the Hoofington military out there to make sure they keep their word. We are bound to obey the agreement by our own bureaucracy while the Gang gets away with breaking its word every day.”

Rarity sat back in her seat as their words washed over her. Hoofington was not only letting these brutes do whatever they want, it was actively contributing to their success by supplying them with ‘tribute’. Rarity had heard rumors of such deceptions all her life, but had always rolled her eyes and ignored the conspiracy theories. To sit here and hear those in a position to know the truth confirm it all was… disturbing didn’t even begin to cover it.

Cranky lit himself an extract stick, puffed on it a few times. “None of you sound keen on all of this. So why are you here?”

“It’s a lesson,” Captain Frost replied, her glare aimed at the table.

“We’re the ones who wanted to change things,” Staff Sergeant Dust said, still picking at his claws with that knife. “Command sends soldiers like us here so that we can ‘learn how the world works.’ They want us to see the system and expect us to conclude that nothing can be done to fix it.”

“And if we don’t?” Pinkie leaned heavily against the table, her tail flicking like that of an agitated cat. “Then we stay until we do. I’ve been here for two years. That’s nothing.” She gestured in the Captain’s general direction. “Frosty here’s been stuck at this post for six.”

Rarity shook her head, pulling herself out of a miasma of uncertain thoughts regarding what else might be going on in the world she didn’t know about. “So if that’s the case, why don’t you all just leave the army?”

Pinkie’s head jerked up so she could give Rarity a cocky smirk. “Well, duh! The army won’t do anything, but we can’t do anything without an army.”

If constant confusion and frustration really did give a mare wrinkles, Rarity would have to start fretting over how she was aging very soon. “How does being in an army that won’t do anything constitute doing anything in said army?”

“It’s not as crazy as you might think.” Captain Frost’s smile was dull and bitter. “If we leave the army, we lose our ability to affect anything at all. At least if we stay we have a slim hope of making a difference when someone does decide to do something about it.”

Cranky snorted. “Sounds like a circle of failure to me.”

“It’s all we have,” Staff Sergeant Dust grumbled, casually spinning his blade in his paws in ways that defied Rarity’s comprehension of gravity. “It’s a bad cycle, but it’s ours.”

“Unless somepony can find a way to fight against the Gang and win,” Pinkie muttered, cheek in palm.

All was silent for a while. Rarity considered her companions and the story they had given her. But more than that, she recalled what Cranky had said to her about the Bulletproof Heart. As much as she loathed the idea, she couldn’t help seeing his point right about now. The Sixth’s presence and purpose here was an insult to the soldiers among its ranks. They had an army of over 300 creatures, and yet they felt as if they could achieve nothing!

She was going into Ponyville with or without their help. But with was so much more appealing, and Pinkie did say she’d called this meeting to brainstorm a means of helping her. If the Bulletproof Heart, lie though it was, could inspire them to act…

She noted Cranky watching her out the corner of his eye. “What?”

The extract stick bobbed about as he shifted it from one side of his mouth to the other, hands free. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

“How can you be sure you know what I’m thinking?”

His lips curled up into a wry smile. His lone eye held her gaze, daring her to deny what they both knew had been on her mind. Rarity could feel her defenses cracking, not that they’d been much to begin with. At last she let out a groan and, cursing him under her breath, turned to Pinkie. “Is the entirety of the Sixth like you, or are some of them… let’s say ‘spoiled’ by their proximity to Ponyville?”

Pinkie sighed, twirling her baton— “Pound Cake.” —Pound Cake between two fingers.

Rarity blinked. “Wait, how did you know I was—?”

“Anypony who has succumbed to the presence of Ponyville in the Sixth is immediately transferred to another part of the army,” Pinkie declared sourly, her face scrunched up. “That’s how Command keeps things under control. So yeah, pretty much everypony in the Sixth still wants to take the Gang down. Otherwise they wouldn’t be here. They’ve got a system set up for figuring us out.”

“Well, then.” Rarity sat up straight, attempting to look as commanding as possible. She had no idea how she was doing, but a lifetime of maintaining an image of nobility and prestige didn’t go away just because of a few months of rough living. “I think it’s time you all made a difference.”

Captain Frost raised an eyebrow, her expression steely. “And who are you to decide that?”

“I can’t decide anything for you,” she countered with no less firmness. “But the Bulletproof Heart is entering that town one way or another.”

Staff Sergeant Dust barked a laugh and didn’t look away from his blade. “The Bulletproof Heart. Right.” A few seconds of quiet passed before he noticed her scowl. “What?”

The Captain pursed her lips, studying Rarity with a renewed interest. “I don’t think she’s joking, Staff Sergeant.”

“She can’t be serious,” he countered, at last sitting up from his lazy position so that he could point at Rarity. “Or she’s lying. The Bulletproof Heart’s a myth.”

Captain Frost glanced at him, then turned her attention to Pinkie. “Major?”

Pinkie was sitting back in her seat, flinging her ba—Pound Cake, Rarity amended in her mind at Pinkie’s sharp look – in the air repeatedly. “My sisters say she’s the Bulletproof Heart. That’s good enough for me.”

“Well, it’s not good enough for me,” the Staff Sergeant growled. “And I’m not going against the Gang or Command on her say so.”

Captain Frost’s icy gaze settled on Rarity once more. “For the sake of argument, let’s assume you are indeed the Bulletproof Heart. What do you intend to do?”

“Yes?” Cranky plucked his extract stick from his lips and blew a ring of blue smoke before looking at Rarity with his own critical, dour expression. “What do you intend to do?”

She shot him a glower. Just whose side are you on? “The only thing I intend to do is rescue the ponies that are important to me. How that gets done is something that needs to be fleshed out. I was originally planning on sneaking in, but with the Sixth here it feels as though my options have expanded a touch.” She sent a raised eyebrow the Staff Sergeant’s way. “Unless all your talk of wanting to make a difference is exactly that.”

Staff Sergeant Dust peeled his lips back in a toothy smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Pretty words from a pretty pony. You don’t just ‘act’ against the Bad Apple Gang. If we helped you, we’d be branded as rogues. It might be easy for a pony or two to run around the wilds avoiding capture, but an entire army stands out like a sore tail.”

“Plus we have artillery pieces to consider,” Captain Frost added, expression grim. “If we went rogue, we’d have to abandon those. Would you rather the Gang got hold of them?”

So much for Cranky’s inspiration theory. Rarity stood up, her wooden chair scraping the floor noisily. “I can see that staying here is a waste of my time. I have work to do.” She turned for the door.

Cranky caught her wrist before she could pass him. “That’s not a very good bluff, Miss Belle.” He puffed out some smoke before looking up at her. When he did, his deadpan frown shifted to alarm as she tried to convey through her eyes all the frustration she had been building up in the last season. It was not an inconsiderable amount.

“Let me go, Cranky.”

He did, his hand jolting back as if burned. She wasted no time resuming her walk.

“Wait,” the Staff Sergeant said. “She’s serious?”

“You won’t survive,” the Captain warned.

Rarity’s hand was on the doorknob. “If what you all are doing constitutes living, then I think that’ll be an improvement.” She pulled open the door… only to find Pinkie standing before her. She blinked, looked back to the table. Sure enough, the Major was no longer in her seat. How does she do these things?

Pinkie’s head was slightly bowed, her face hard. It seemed… wrong to see an expression like that on the typically jovial pony. “You don’t have to do it that way.”

Rubbing the nub on Silver Lining’s handle, Rarity growled her response. “Your friends don’t intend to help me. I don’t see any alternatives.”

Pinkie poked her on the collarbone with enough force to sting, knocking Rarity back a little. “You barely tried to convince them.” Another poke, driving the startled mare back even further. “And you’re not looking very hard for new options.” A third poke. This one really stung. “And I do not want to face Marble and tell her I let her friend get killed! That would be the worst family reunion ever, and there’s not supposed to be such a thing as a bad family reunion. Do you want to be responsible for me missing out on Maud’s rock soup?”

Rarity caught Pinkie’s finger in her magic before it could poke her again. “That hurts.”

The finger flicked as if to chase away a fly, and the blue aura of magic was shredded like wet paper. A fourth poke promptly followed, and Rarity was too stunned by what she’d just seen to even consider trying to stop it. “Dying hurts more, I’ll bet.”

Confusion was burnt to ashes in a flaring fire that welled up and scalded Rarity’s brain. She slapped Pinkie’s hand away and took a stomping step closer, nearly pressing their muzzles together. “My sister’s name is Sweetie Belle. She’s fourteen years old. If I don’t get her out, and get her out now, she will end up a slave to those brutes. Do you know what they do to innocent young mares? Do you?”

A hand caught her arm, gentle but restraining. She turned her flames upon the creature that dared to interfere. It ended up being a donkey. Cranky flinched at her seething glare, but didn’t let go. “It’s alright, Rarity. We’ll figure something out.”

“Actually, it’s already figured out.”

The fire lost some of its fuel, but didn’t go out completely. Slowly, Rarity focused her attention on Pinkie once more. The Major had her hands behind her back and appeared grim. “If you’d calm down and let me talk, maybe you’ll find out about it.”

She had a plan all along? Rarity hoped, for her sake, that she had a good reason for not saying anything about it until now!

“I had to see how far you were willing to go,” Pinkie stated, as if she’d heard what Rarity was thinking. “You’re a friend of the family, Rares, but this is a big risk.”

And she had no reason to take a risk for Rarity’s sake. Closing her eyes tight, Rarity rubbed her necklace and let its essence sooth her mind. By now she had little doubt of its ability to do that. The fury that had nearly led her to storming Ponyville all alone died away, leaving behind an icy emptiness… and a hint of dread. Going to Ponyville all by herself might be suicide. She’d accepted that long ago.

But Pinkie was right, she wasn’t being fair to her or her officers. Her desperation was getting the best of her. You should be better than that, Rarity. You were willing to wait a few days to help Cranky. This isn’t any worse. Besides, you don’t even know if Cayenne was telling the truth about Sweetie’s and Coco’s location. That last part was the opposite of comforting, but she was tranquil enough now to face the issue with a cooler head.

“I apologize, Major Pie.” Opening her eyes, she turned to the officers and Cranky, nodding to each of them in turn. “And to all of you, as well. I’m just… a little desperate at this point.”

Cranky said nothing. The concern in his eyes was more than enough. Captain Frost wouldn’t look at her, even as she replied, “It’s okay. You have your reasons.”

Staff Sergeant Dust wasn’t so hesitant. “I still think you’re a crazy pony.” He crossed his arms and smirked. “But you’ve got guts. That counts for something.”

Rarity eyed him. “Thanks… I think?”

Apparently concluding the situation had been defused, Pinkie waved her hand in front of Rarity’s face to catch her attention. “Okay, so, you’re gonna sit down now, right? Or am I gonna have to keep poking you? Please say you’re gonna sit down, I don’t think my finger can take that kind of punishment for much longer. Has anypony mentioned you’re a lot sturdier than you look?”

With a smile, Rarity walked back to the table. “I’ll sit down and listen. And I think ‘sturdiness’ comes with a lifestyle of constantly running for your life.” She sat down, and by the time she looked up Pinkie was already in her seat. At this point she decided questioning it could come at a later time. “Alright, Major Pie, I’m listening. What’s this plan?”

---

The ‘plan’ as it turned out, was exceptionally simple, but no less dangerous for it. It was the next morning, and Rarity, Pinkie, and Cranky were riding Dust Devils towards Ponyville. Pinkie led the way, immaculately clad in a dress uniform that Rarity had to admit looked pretty good. The yellow and green ensemble featured all the accessories, the stiff collar with piping to the lapels. Her perfectly pressed jacket sported turnbacks, a curious thing for a mare, and she even wore a bicorn. The outfit was immaculate. Upon seeing it for the first time, Rarity came to realize that Pinkie really took pride in her job.

Pinkie hummed to herself the whole way, but it was an anxious humming. On the rare occasion that she hummed a recognizable tune, Rarity noticed how Pinkie kept missing notes or repeating the same parts, as if she were losing her place. The poor mare said not a word the entire time, nor did she ever look back at Rarity or Cranky.

It took only thirty minutes to escape the confining hills that surrounded the camp. The trio descended into the valley and were soon approaching Ponyville’s main road. Even having been told what to expect, Rarity was surprised to find the buildings in good condition. The road itself, little more than compacted dirt, was full of potholes, but the structures had been well maintained.

The ponies making up the place’s existing population all paused to watch their approach. Surprisingly, they were not all dirty and unkempt as she expected. If she hadn’t known any better, she’d have thought them the regular run-of-the-mill citizens of any other community. The sight of so many bandits and outlaws examining them made Rarity’s hand itch, but she stalwartly kept herself from gripping Silver Lining. Pinkie was no longer humming.

When they were only ten feet from the nearest building, Pinkie brought her dark brown sand lizard to a halt. Rarity and Cranky followed suit. Pinkie then dismounted. With her back turned to the bandits, she gave her companions a smile that was probably meant to be comforting, but only served to show how anxious she was. Following her prior and strict instructions from before, neither of them dismounted.

Pinkie stepped in front of her Dust Devil and put her hands to her hips. “Hi, everypony! You all know me, I’m Major Pie. I’ve come to do some negotiatin’, so get Apple Split out here.” When none of them moved, she pulled out her party cannon and aimed it at the sky. “Come on, ponies, move your tails!” A blast of confetti and streamers filled the air with a bang that echoed across the valley.

That, at least, got the outlaws moving. A passing glance might suggest they were just going about their business, but Rarity could see how they were watching the visitors warily. More than a few were loosening the weapons in their holsters. There were a lot of holsters. Was every bandit in this town armed? It seemed a tad excessive.

Pinkie shifted her head, but didn’t turn away from the street. “You two can climb down now.”

What strange etiquette. Rarity climbed off Ophelia quickly, wanting to keep her hands free as much as possible. Her heart thudded in her chest as she patted Ophelia’s muzzle and accepted a friendly bump on the shoulder from the creature. Her throat was dry and her hands shook slightly. This was it. Ponyville. The last, disastrous stand of the Rainbow Gang had taken place right here. The end of law and order beyond the city states, stronghold of the Bad Apple Gang.

Sweetie Belle and Coco could be in any of these buildings. So tantalizingly close. Might they be watching her out one of those windows even now, wondering what she was doing? Hoping she would save them? This ‘Apple Split’ had better be cordial and fast, because Rarity was running on the last dregs of her patience.

After what seemed an eternity, a pony finally approached them from the street. By this time the road had been largely cleared, the outlaws retreating to the sides to watch whatever was about to happen. The newcomer was a well-groomed stallion of grayish blue coloration and a bright red, curly mane. He walked with purpose, and the slight frown on his face spoke of self-superiority. Rarity disliked him already.

He paused roughly ten feet from Pinkie. Adjusting his apple-decorated cravat, he spoke in a firm tone. “You’re early by two weeks, Major. What are you after?”

It took every ounce of willpower Rarity possessed not to shout her demands at him. Fortunately, Pinkie spoke in a pleasant tone that would likely work much better in this situation. “That’s something we should probably discuss in private. My friends—”

“Friends?” Apple Split cast his disdainful gaze upon Rarity, then Cranky. “More like scum. Bone heads and jackasses aren’t welcome in Ponyville. I suggest you send them back to whatever sewer they crawled from before my boys’ trigger fingers start twitching.”

Rarity bristled, but held her tongue. She’d been warned that the gang was run by earth pony supremacists. A little bit of insult could be tolerated if it meant getting her loved ones back. Sisters’ knew she’d developed a thick skin for it while riding with Roma’s traders.

“They’re not going anywhere but with me to talk to you,” Pinkie countered, not letting her pleasantness be affected at all by his words. “After all, one of them is the one with the request. I’m sure we can negotiate a fair exchange.”

Apple Split made a disgusting sound before spitting a wad of yellow phlegm on the ground between them. “That’s as much as either of them will get from the Bad Apples. If that’s all you came here for, turn around and leave now.”

Pinkie finally added some edge to her voice. “We’re not going anywhere until you talk to us.”

He shrugged. “Fine. Then stand there like idiots all day. Maybe one of the boys will use you for target practice.”

This was getting them nowhere. Rarity ground her teeth to keep from interrupting the conversation. This… this fool had her sibling and friend? So much for negotiation. Perhaps if she could sneak in later, she could—

“What’s goin’ on here?”

Her entire body went taught like a steel cord, hands clenched into claws and hackles raised. That voice. It… It couldn’t be.

Apple Split reacted similarly, straightening up with hands at his sides and eyes going wide. He swallowed and turned slowly to address who had spoken. The pony in question was watching the proceedings from the door of a nearby structure. “Jackie, I told you, this is Bad Apple business. Let me handle this, then we can get back to—”

The pony stepped into the sunlight. “Shut it, cousin. Don’t sound like you’re being fair to these folks, and I want to know why.”

“Because—”

“You!” Even though the night had been almost entirely forgotten, one thing had never left Rarity’s memories. And there, in the flesh, was the pony she hated more than any other. Just the sight of that startled orange face snapped something inside, and the little pony in the back of her mind was slammed into a solid steel vault before it could so much as breathe in protest. Rarity stormed towards the mare, who appeared shocked at her arrival.

The mare tipped her Stetson back to get a better look, then smiled. “Hey, it’s you! I never thought I’d—”

The slap rang like a gunshot through the street, staggering the mare sideways a few steps and making Rarity’s hand burn.

“You beast! Do you have any idea what your actions put me through? I have half a mind to rip you to pieces with my bare hands! Just who do you think you are, taking advantage of me like that?”

Rubbing her cheek, the mare finally turned back to Rarity, her eyes wide. “Whoa, whoa! What the hay are you talking about?”

Another gunshot of a slap, this time on the other cheek. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, you… you pervert! Don’t even dream of feigning innocence, not after what you did! What did you think, that I was some harlot for you to toy with? Put a few drinks in me and I’d be happy to spread my legs?”

“Hey, I thought you were having as much fun as I was. Woah, nelly!” She jumped back, barely avoiding Rarity’s fist. “What are you mad at me for? You were the one getting smashed. I thought it was a regular thing for you.”

“A regular thing?” Rarity caught her by the vest with both hands, pulled her so they were nose-to-nose and tried her level best to burn the brute to a crisp with her eyes. “You disreputable, arrogant philanderer! You don’t have a fucking clue what you took from me, do you? You just waltzed in there and had your fun without any Sisters-be-damned consideration for the consequences. You’re lucky I didn’t blow your fucking head off, because I swear to Luna, Celestia, and Discord I wanted to!”

“Rarity!”

Without letting the fiend go, Rarity snapped her head to the side to glare at Cranky. The vicious words on the tip of her tongue stalled when she realized that every pony in the area was watching the scene in a state of shock. The outlaws hadn’t even the wherewithal to pull out their weapons. They just… gaped. She turned her eyes to Cranky, whose eyes darted from her to the outlaw in her grasp.

His gaze met hers. “This isn’t what we came here for.”

No. No, it wasn’t. She tried to think of Sweetie Belle and Coco. Tried to forget the anger bubbling like a covered cauldron in her chest. Fighting this wretch wouldn’t solve anything.

But it would feel so good…

“Uh, are you gonna let go of me, now?”

Rarity’s inner thighs tingled with an unpleasant heat as she snarled in the outlaw’s orange face. She shoved the mare back with enough force to send her sprawling on her back, but those green eyes never left hers. They were filled with frustration and confusion. That only made the cauldron bubble more. How could she be frustrated when she was the one in the wrong? And how dare she not understand what she’d done wrong in the first place!

Rarity pointed a finger at the mare and released as much heat out of the cauldron as she dared with her voice. “When our business here is done, you and I are going to duel.”

The mare’s eyes widened a touch. “You sure you wanna do that?”

“The only reason you’re not dead already is because I refuse to kill somepony who can’t defend herself,” Rarity replied with a snarl. “And you are dangerously close to making me break that moral wall, so shut up and get a gun.” She turned on her heel. “This won’t take long.”

Cranky tried to get in her way. She shouldered past him without so much as a passing glance. It seemed he was still too stunned to try again.

So Pinkie did, hurrying to her side and walking alongside her. “Now, Rares, I know you’re mad for some reason, but this isn’t how you solve the problem. Y-you can just head back to camp and we’ll take over from—”

Apple Split finally recovered enough to realize she was storming straight at him. His eyebrows shot up as he raised his hands as though to ward her off. “H-hey, calm down, there’s no need to—” He yelped as her magic caught his ears and jerked him forward. Before any of the others could react, she had Silver Lining pressed against his side and Ruby Heart against his groin.

She spoke in a fierce whisper, glaring into his frightened amaranth eyes. Which was good. She wanted him to understand that he wasn’t dealing with kind, generous Rarity Belle anymore. “I am the Bulletproof Heart. You bastards took my sister and apprentice. You are going to give them back to me right now, or I swear to fucking Luna I will blow your fucking balls off.”

Trembling, Apple Split glanced around at their deathly silent audience. “Y-you’ll be the target of everypony h-here. That’s not how these things—” Silver Lining’s hammer cocked at a slight squeeze of the trigger. “—Okay! Okay!” Without taking his eyes off hers, he turned his head and called out, “For the love of Celestia, somepony get the hostages out here!”

A long, quiet pause. Somepony finally found the guts to ask, “Which ones?”

Which ones? So they had hostages for more than just her? Rarity’s fingers grew taught as she fought the urge to pull the triggers. “All of them,” she hissed through clenched teeth.

“All of them!” Apple Split’s voice took on a distinctly higher pitch as he waved frantically at whoever had asked the question. “Go. Now! All of them!”

Things were quiet for a time. Rarity checked her peripheral vision and saw a lot of guns getting pulled out by a lot of outlaws. She cursed under her breath, but didn’t back down.

‘L-look,” Apple Split whispered, “this isn’t gonna work. Even if you kill me, th-they’re gonna kill you. You can take your friends, I won’t even demand anything in return.” Her glare refocused on him, causing him to flinch. “W-work with me. Please. If I let all the hostages go, Blackjack and Velvet will have my head.”

A familiar voice spoke up. “You should have considered that before picking the wrong side of the family, cousin.” They both looked to see the orange mare standing beside them, now sporting a gun belt with a loop of rope and two very strange, small weapons. Pistols with long… were those ammunition cartridges? They looked like harmonicas.

Disregarding the weapons, Rarity let out a fierce snarl. “You stay out of this.”

The answer was a plain “No.” At Rarity’s grimace, she added, “If you get yourself killed now, your sister and friend ain’t goin’ anywhere, and all those hostages will end up right back where they were. Plus, you won’t get your duel.”

Apple Split let out a whine. “Jackie. Cousin. H-help a guy out, here.”

“Relax, Split,” Jackie answered, though there was no kindness in her tone. “You’ll get out of today’s disaster. It’s tomorrow y’all gotta worry about.”

Rarity snorted and pushed Ruby Heart a little harder against her captive’s groin. “I don’t think you get a say in that.”

“Sugarcube, I got a lot more say in it than you do.” Jackie tipped her hat back slightly and focused her attention on her cousin. “So, Split. You up for a wager?”

“A wager?” Apple Split’s eyes darted between Rarity and her. A line of sweat ran down the side of his head. “I d-don’t think now’s the time to be gambling.”

“I’m giving you an out, so you better take it.” Jackie turned back to Rarity, her eyes going sharp. “If I kill her, nothing bad happens to you. Otherwise, you let her, her friends, and all the hostages go. No bullshit, no tricks. How does that sound to you, Bulletproof?”

Rarity sneered. “You expect me to trust you?”

“I expect you to know the best option available,” Jackie countered.

The best option. Rarity was all about searching for the right option, even if she frequently didn’t pick it. Indeed, she figured her track record so far was pretty poor. A panning glance at her immediate surroundings reminded her that she was outnumbered a hundred to one, and that was a conservative guess. The deal sounded good, but what was to stop them all from opening fire the instant she let Apple Split go?

“Rarity?”

Her ears perked as a gasp left her lungs. There, in a dirty white and purple dress, was her own dear Sweetie Belle. The filly had gotten so big in the last seven years. She stared at Rarity with wide, disbelieving eyes and tried to approach, but a similarly disheveled Coco Pommel held her back by the shoulders. Coco’s stare was no less alarmed though. They were surrounded by a couple dozen more ponies and a griffon that had to have been Sweetie’s age or younger, and they were all being guarded by outlaws with rifles.

That was a lot of hostages. But all Rarity could think was one simple thing: she’d finally found what she was looking for. The sight of her sister and Coco stirred a chaotic stew of anger, joy and fear within her. She had half a mind to turn her guns on those brutes that would dare point a gun at her sister!

Apple Split’s hesitant voice interrupted Rarity’s frustration. “Jackie? You know Blackjack and Velvet won’t like this.”

“That’s your problem, not mine.” Jackie extended a hand towards Rarity. “We got a deal?”

Rarity looked to the hand, then into Sweetie’s hopeful, fearful eyes. Her dear, innocent sister. She had to find the best option and, like it or not, Jackie’s did seem to fit the bill. It was that or shoot Apple Split now and get ripped apart by a lot of high velocity lead. This in mind, she finally pulled back and holstered her guns. Ignoring Apple Split’s slow exhale, she turned to Jackie…

…and slapped her hand away. “Don’t touch me. You’ve got a deal. But if so much as a hair has been touched on either of their heads—”

Jackie rubbed her hand, studying Rarity with a sad frown. “Fine.” She turned around and spoke loud enough for everyone in the street to hear. “Listen up, y’all! Me and this fine mare are about to have a duel. I don’t want none of you knuckleheads interfering with that. You do, and you can consider every last one of ya cut off from the Family forever, and I’ll personally shoot the one responsible. And if I lose, don’t none of ya go after her for it! This is gonna be a fair fight, on my honor as an Apple, and y’all are gonna respect that!” There was a long pause as the bandits shared uncertain expressions. “That means put those guns away now!”

Every weapon disappeared from sight within two seconds. Some ponies even ran away.

“What’s the hay is she doing here?”

Rarity let out a groan and gripped Silver Lining tight, just in case. All eyes turned to the unmistakable image of Cayenne storming onto the scene. “Jackie! That mare is the Bulletproof Heart! She killed Braeburn! Why the fuck aren’t you filling her full of lead?”

One of Jackie’s pistols shot out of its holster and fired. The gun had a surprisingly quiet shot compared to what Rarity was used to. The sand at Cayenne’s hooves burst in a cloud of dust, and the mare froze with her own pistol half-drawn. She stared wide eyed at the gun aimed her way. “Jackie?”

“Me and this filly are gonna have a duel,” Jackie informed her, tone cold. “You ain’t gonna interfere with that, are you?”

Rarity could almost swear Cayenne’s eyes had burst into flames with fury. “You can’t tell me not to interfere! I have a right to kill that cunt!”

Jackie’s aim adjusted ever so slightly. “Cayenne, you holster that gun now, or I’ll put a bullet in you myself.”

Seconds ticked by as Cayenne sputtered and held out for as long as she dared. Slowly, as if the act were physically painful, she put her gun away. With hands balled into fists, she stepped backwards into the shade of the nearby structure. “I’m not letting her walk away again.”

“You’ll get another chance, I’m sure.” Jackie checked her weapon before holstering it and turning back to Rarity. “So. How you wanna do this?”

How, indeed? Rarity considered her options, then glanced to her side. “Major. Mark for us—”

“Forty paces?” Pinkie appeared at her side, expression grim. “Already done.” She pointed to a line marked in the sand at Rarity’s hooves, then turned to Jackie. “Yours is behind you.” Without a word, Jackie began walking.

Pinkie promptly turned back to Rarity. “I don’t know whether you’re really lucky or really dumb, Rares.”

“I’d say dumb,” Cranky muttered, appearing at her other side. “So much for negotiation.”

Rarity grimaced and rubbed her necklace. A little magical soothing would be a big boon right about now. “I apologize for breaking away from the agreed upon plan. I let my anger get the best of me again. In my defense, this bitch deserves it.”

“I wasn’t talking about that.” Pinkie shook her head forcefully. “I’m talking about you picking a duel with Applejack Apple. That’s crazy.”

“You know her?” Cranky asked, sounding as surprised as Rarity felt.

“You don’t know her?”

Cranky grimaced. “I know of her.”

Rarity looked between them, feeling as if she’d missed something that would have been critical to know five minutes ago. Pinkie caught her look and gaped. “Rares, she’s the Apple. The head honcho, the big and shiny, the top lasso!” At Rarity’s continued staring, she slapped a hand to her forehead. “She’s the leader of the Apple Family.”

The… what? Rarity took a closer look at Jackie, who had paused and was speaking to Apple Split. That young mare led an entire family of the agricultural elite? Surely not! “B-but I thought the Apple Family and the Bad Apple Gang were different.”

“They are. They hate one another.” Pinkie followed her gaze, a sad lilt entering her voice. “But they’re still family. Applejack comes by every few seasons to handle the Family’s own negotiations with the Gang. I didn’t know she was here this week, though. Lucky.”

“And how in Sam Hill is it lucky?” Cranky demanded.

“Because nopony in the Gang crosses Applejack,” Pinkie declared smartly. “They’ve got too much respect for her, and Blackjack would be pissed if his own Gang did her in. If she tells them to stand down and let you go, they’ll do exactly that.”

The idea that the same wretch responsible for stealing Rarity’s last bit of innocence could be of the honorable sort didn’t work in Rarity’s head. Pinkie had to be mistaken, and would have to forgive her if she decided not to take Applejack’s words at face value. Rarity planned to be ready for anything. From the look Cranky gave her, he was likely thinking the same thing.

Sweetie’s voice called from among the hostages. “Rarity! What are you doing here?”

Oh, what she wouldn’t give to run over there and hug that precious filly! But Rarity restrained herself, instead focusing her attention on Applejack, who was ushering Apple Split away. Without looking towards her sister, she called, “Just stay there, Sweetie! I promise, this will all be sorted out soon.” One way or another. “Don’t let her go anywhere, Coco.” She looked to Pinkie, who got the message and retreated to a safe distance.

“You’re sure about this?” Cranky asked when she looked to him. He held his typical scowl, but his eyes betrayed his fear.

She wanted to smile for him. It wouldn’t come. So instead she said, “If the worst happens, don’t be a hero. Get out.”

He hesitated, opened his mouth, closed it again. At last he turned and marched away, arms stiff at his sides.

Now that she stood alone, it abruptly dawned upon Rarity just what she was doing. A duel. And not some fight-or-flight, caught-in-the-moment duel. She’d initiated this one, and the idea struck her like a slap to the face. She’d been so angry – was still so angry – that she’d made the challenge without a thought.

She thought about it now. Specifically, she thought about how fast Applejack had whipped out her gun to shoot at Cayenne’s hooves. It had been… Don’t think about that, Rarity. You can do this. A glance at the fearful gazes of Sweetie and Coco. You have to.

But as she stood at the ready, hands at her sides and legs spread slightly, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even as the loathing continued to course through her veins like a fiery poison, she understood that the only reason anypony was going to die today was because of her rash decision.

I was defending my honor!

That makes it right?

She stole the last of my innocence!

But maybe getting into a duel was a little rash…

It’s her own fault for taking advantage of me.

She didn’t get you drunk.

It was date rape!

It was a one night stand, and that only because I left the scene.

The scene of the crime!

Are you really going to murder a pony to satisfy your rage?

This is justice!

Is that what it was when you killed TomTom? Justice?

Her heart felt as though it were made of ice. Her fingers twitched with the desire to pull a trigger. The voices in her head had gone silent. All of Ponyville had.

Applejack, mimicking Rarity’s ready pose, called to her. “One shot per gun fine by you?”

Swallowing the lump in her throat failed to ease the tension in it. Rarity resorted to a simple, sharp nod. One shot, two guns each. Silver Lining was fast, but fast enough to beat those little pistols Applejack sported? Ruby Heart would have to fire last. If Applejack’s aim was good, it wouldn’t get a chance.

She tunnel-visioned on her enemy, her tormentor. Was that even right? Applejack hadn’t done anything beyond one night, but scarcely a day went by that Rarity didn’t think of her. Of what she did. Tormentor. Maybe. Unintentionally?

Such lovely eyes. Sap green. Applejack was fairly pretty in her own rugged way. How many mares had she lured to bed with those eyes?

They still hadn’t moved. The waiting was like a weight unto itself, pressing down upon Rarity, demanding she do something. Anger screamed at her to strike first. Fear and doubt made her hesitate. Not doubt in her ability, but doubt in her cause. Could she kill Applejack in cold blood?

Would she even get a shot off?

Loose. She should be loose. That’s what Cranky had taught her. Applejack appeared loose. Be loose.

A cloud passed over the scene. The heat of the sun faded a touch. Rarity felt a bead of sweat slide between her eyes. A lock of blonde hair drifted across Applejack’s lovely, hard gaze. Focused eyes. Determined eyes. Eyes that didn’t flinch or glance around, that proclaimed the mare’s certainty. Rarity couldn’t look away.

Those eyes might kill her.

Loose. Slow breaths. Rarity’s finger twitched. Applejack didn’t budge. Somepony had to act. Soon.

Soon.

Soon.

Soon.

The cloud passed. Two ponies went into motion.

Rarity felt the impact before she heard the shots. One to the heart to give her pause, a second in the exact same spot to make her stumble back and turn sideways. The hand reaching for Ruby Heart instead clasped her chest. Silver Lining was in her left hand, but hung limp.

There was no pain. There was a scream. It took Rarity a second to realize it was Sweetie’s.

A moment to register the hit. Another to smile to herself.

Bulletproof Heart, indeed.

Silver Lining shot up and fired. Applejacks body twisted at the hip, her eyes wide with shock as Ruby Heart took aim…

I am not a killer.

The larger gun’s shot was like a thunderclap. Applejack fell back as if hit by a hammer, her landing sending up a cloud of dust. The world was silent as everypony stared, some at Rarity, some at her fallen opponent. Rarity held her breath, kept her weapons raised, and prayed to the sisters her aim had been true.

I am not a killer.

I am not a killer.

I am not a killer!

There came a groan. Slowly, Applejack sat up, clutching her right shoulder with a grimace. Rarity allowed the air to leave her lungs… then marched forward, weapons poised. Applejack didn’t notice her approach until she was about ten feet away.

Despite everything, the mare smirked. “And here I thought the Bulletproof Heart was just a fancy name the Buffalo made up for ya.”

Rarity kept her gaze hard and her guns aimed. “Are you going to honor your part of the bargain?”

Applejack’s smile melted into a stern frown. “I’m nothing if not honest.” Slowly, with one hand on her bleeding hip, she stood up and turned to the outlaws guarding the hostages. “Let ‘em go. All of ‘em.” She paused, head turning to look at something. Rarity followed her look with a glance, and immediately saw what had caught her attention: Cayenne was gone.

“Let me go with ya,” Applejack said, her words tinged with a subtle alarm.

Realizing that there would indeed be no more bullets flying for now, Rarity put her guns away. “Excuse me?”

Applejack met her gaze, her eyes once more hard. “No pony with Apple blood in her will shoot at me, not right now.”

Rarity scowled, but cast a look around. The outlaws were staring at the scene as if in stark bewilderment. Had they really expected her to lose? That, or perhaps they didn’t expect to see me survive two bullets to the heart. Either way, they all seemed too shocked to draw their weapons. That seemed to be a recurring theme for the day. Best use it while it was still viable.

“We’re leaving,” she declared, giving Applejack one last sideways look. “Without you.” Applejack reached for her arm as she turned away. Rarity jerked from that touch as if it were fire, hissing and reaching for her guns.

Applejack raised her hands. “Listen to me, Sugarcube. I know I ain’t your favorite pony in the world right now, but listen. These ponies ain’t Apple Family, they’re Apple Gang. That means I don’t rightly control ‘em. They ain’t gonna come after you here – too much risk for a fight amongst their own. But the moment you’re out of sight in them hills, I promise you’ll have a war party on your tail.” She tapped her chest with a thumb. “Having me there is the difference between dealing with fifty outlaws or a hundred-and-fifty, ya get me?”

No matter how much she wanted to walk away and never see this foul creature again, Rarity had to accept that she was right, the Gang would certainly come after them. Would some really refuse to go if Applejack was along for the trip? It seemed counterintuitive. Applejack was the leader of the Apple Family, and she was certain to betray them at the first opportunity. But the ponies here did seem to respect her, seeing as they’d obeyed her thus far. Maybe it would work. It was three against who knew how many? Applejack might make it four, assuming she didn’t immediately turn on them when the fighting started.

And they still had a couple dozen hostages to protect. One more pony might make all the difference.

It seemed her begrudging acceptance was visible on her face, for Applejack turned away to bark orders at the nearest pony. “Go get Moonshine and Winona for me, and enough lizards for the hostages to ride.” The stallion ran off with his tail between his legs and one last, wide-eyed look at the two of them.

“Rarity!” She turned just in time for a charging Sweetie Belle to tackle her in a flying hug that knocked her on her back. The air was squeezed out of her lungs by the filly’s arms. “Oh my gosh that was amazing! You came for me and you fought that bad pony and got shot and lived and I’ve got the coolest, best big sister ever!”

“Nice to… see you too…” Rarity squirmed and gasped and kicked. “Sweetie… need air…”

Sweetie jerked back, hands up high. “Sorry, so sorry! Are you okay?”

After two or three slow breaths, Rarity caught her sister up in an embrace, pressing the filly’s head to her chest. She was alive. She wasn’t safe yet, but Rarity’s worst fears hadn’t come to fruition. Her sister was here, and just the thought took away all the pain and worries and frustrations. “I am now, Sweetie. I am now.”

Returning the hug with far less force than before, Sweetie rubbed her cheek against Rarity. When the elder sister began to sniffle, she whispered, “Don’t cry, sis. It’s okay. I’m okay.”

Rocking back and forth, Rarity ignored her burning eyes and replied, “Let me have this. I’ve needed it far more than I realized.”

“Oh. O-okay.” Sweetie let go just long enough to rub her own eyes. For a little while they simply sat there in the dirt, clutching one another close and weeping softly. Rarity knew they should be escaping, but she just couldn’t bring herself to let Sweetie go. She’d gotten so big. She might even have her cutie mark! And Rarity had spent the last seven years away. Missing so much. Why? None of her old excuses seemed at all appropriate anymore. She’d not been a terrible big sister, she’d not been a big sister at all.

So they had their moment, and consequences be damned.

An indeterminate time later, a voice cut through the quiet. “Uh, Rares?”

Blinking back the moisture in her eyes, Rarity looked up to find Pinkie crouched a respectful distance away. “Y-yes, Darling. I apologize. Come, Sweetie Belle, we aren’t out of this quite yet.”

“Okay.” As they stood, Sweetie grabbed Rarity’s hand, holding tight as if afraid of what might happen if she let go. “C-can I ride with you?”

“Of course you can.” Rarity spotted Coco hovering nearby, watching the scene with a sad smile. “Oh, Coco! Come here, please.” She hurried over to give the young mare a hug, which was eagerly returned. “So sorry for not greeting you sooner, Darling.”

“It’s alright,” Coco replied, shaking her head as they separated. She tried her smile again, closing her eyes as she did. “Little sisters take priority over assistants, right?”

“None of that.” Rarity cupped Coco’s cheek in her palm, prompting her to look her in the eyes. “You are no less important. I was just as determined to rescue you as I was Sweetie. I am so sorry you got caught up in this mess.”

Coco’s smile lost some of its effort, becoming genuine and sweet just as Rarity remembered. “Well, it’s over now.”

“Not yet.” Cranky stepped up to them, his traditional scowl firmly in place. He opened his mouth to speak, only to go stiff when Coco jumped forward and held him tight. He stared at Rarity with wide eyes for but a moment, then awkwardly patted Coco’s head. “Uh… welcome back, kid.”

“Thank you so much for coming for us, Cranky. You’re a true gentlecolt.” Coco planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, prompting the donkey to go more red than a sunset in the desert.

When Rarity and Sweetie tittered, he grumbled and pushed Coco back, albeit gently. “Yeah, yeah, fine. Whatever. Look, we gotta move soon.” He gestured with a nod behind the mares, who looked back to see that most of the freed hostages were mounting Dust Devils, two or three per lizard. They were being managed by Pinkie and Applejack, who made sure the younger hostages were always paired with an older one.

Rarity gave a firm nod. “Right. Sweetie’s riding with me. Cranky, can I trust you to look after Coco?”

“Of course. Come on, Miss Pommel.” He turned for Cerulean, who was watching the other lizards with his usual blasé expression.

“Oh, oh, which one’s yours?” Sweetie asked, her eyes darting from lizard to lizard.

Grinning at her eagerness, Rarity raised her hand high. “Ophelia?” The pale sand lizard trotted out of the pack and hurried to them. She stopped just before them and sniffed at Rarity’s chest where the bullets had struck her necklace. “Yes, I’m fine. I appreciate the concern.”

“Oh, she’s pretty.” Sweetie reached up in an attempt to pet the lizard. Ophelia pre-empted her, lowering her head to sniff at Sweetie’s face and head. Sweetie broke into a fit of giggles as the lizard took a long inhale of her already wild mane. “You’re really curious, aren’t you?”

“She’s a sweetheart when she’s not slobbering on you.” Rarity grinned as Sweetie yelped and backed away, hands running through her hair to check for saliva. “Come on, up you go.”

Within seconds the two were mounted and taking a circuitous route around the collection of hostages, Sweetie holding on to Rarity’s waist for support. Rarity eyed the hostages, amazed to see some foals that couldn’t have been more than ten among their number. What in Celestia’s name was the Gang doing with all of them? They each looked weary and dirty, but when they looked at her there was a spark of something else in their eyes. It was hope, the kind of hope that comes when it was thought lost. That these expressions were aimed her way left an unpleasant feeling in Rarity’s gut.

They appeared to all be mounted and settled in, so Rarity turned her attention to Pinkie. “Are we all set?”

Pinkie was riding with the young griffon, who despite her apparent youth was still almost as tall as she was. “Yep, everypony and birdie accounted for.” She turned her attention to the hostages, who listened with rapt attention. “Okay, everyone, we’ve gotta get to the camp in the hills, and we gotta get there fast. Jackie and me will lead the way. Follow in a nice line, three lizards at a time. Cranky and the Bulletproof Heart will take up the rear.”

Rarity flinched at the name Pinkie chose to use. They were looking at her again, with faces of awe and wonder. She wished they would stop.

Applejack rode up on an orangish-red – That would be vermillion, Rarity. Use your color words. – Dust Devil, her expression grim. Riding in a basket at her back was… a dog? A Border Collie, if she wasn’t mistaken. Come to think of it, there'd been one in the hotel room in Hoofington. The dog watched Rarity with an idle curiosity, sitting tall and appearing perfectly at home in its seat.

“Okay, we’re ready to go,” Applejack said, looking between Rarity, Cranky, and Pinkie. She looked awfully pain-free for somepony who just took a bullet to the shoulder. Only now did Rarity notice a distinct lack of blood. “I don’t suppose y’all gotta plan for when the snake sees the frog?”

Snake sees the frog? Is that some sort of euphemism? Rarity shook her head and decided not to ask. She looked to Pinkie, who nodded confidently.

“Yeah, I’ve got one,” she declared as if she were discussing the plans for her next party. “And it’s a good one, like, really really good. But we gotta get halfway there before we can do it, so…” She looked to the hostages. “Is everypony ready to get outta here?” A smattering of cheers met her, enthusiastic but quiet. “Good, then let’s ride!”

Despite all appearances, the former hostages took to their instructions well and rode out with haste. Perhaps it was the excitement of freedom that made them so energetic. Rarity watched them pass solemnly, then looked towards Ponyville. Many ponies had gathered around Apple Split, who had a look of panic on his face. A similar fear was present on a number of ponies on the street, but there were just as many who appeared angry.

Cranky rode up to her side, Coco holding tight to him from behind. “Yeah, I see it too,” he grumbled. “No doubt about it, they’re gonna come after us. They can’t just let the hostages go.”

“Then we’d best hurry,” Rarity replied, cracking Ophelia’s reins to chase after the others. “You can be sure Cayenne’s already got a posse together to meet us out there.”

As they followed in the dust of their charges, Sweetie spoke up. “But how are they supposed to catch up to us? We’re on lizards. The best they can do is go as fast as we are.” Rarity had no answer. She could only hope Sweetie’s deductions were accurate.

They moved at a gallop, Rarity leaning forward against the wind as the scenery flew past. It was far faster than she was used to, but she remembered the thrilling speed of Little Lightning. She wondered, briefly, what A.K. Yearling was up to right now. Had she ever caught that blue pegasus and gotten her motorcycle back? She pondered what Yearling would think of her now, the woefully ignorant dressmaker, getting into duels and rescuing hostages. Nopony would blame her for not believing it.

Cranky’s call pulled her out of her daydream. She looked to see him gesturing to the north. Peering through the dust clouds of those ahead of them, she spotted a group of lizards running for the hills some distance away. Much too far away to be in range. They were moving ahead with a startling amount of speed. It could only be Cayenne planning to head them off. She shouted to Cranky, “How are they moving so fast?”

He looked to them, then spoke one word. “Leapers.”

Of course. Leapers were known for being very hard to train and volatile, but when Rarity first fought Cayenne she’d been riding one. Perhaps the aggressive beasts were her specialty. Still, they couldn’t have too many. “Can you get a count?”

Cranky shook his head. “Four at least. Probably more. Too much dust.”

“You can beat them, Rarity!” Sweetie’s cheer turned into a coughing fit, presumably because of all the dust in the air. Rarity was beginning to feel a tickle in the back of her own throat, and resolved to keep quiet for now. She had no doubt Pinkie and Applejack had seen the enemy, who’d already disappeared into the hills.

Those Leapers would be out of the fight, for certain. They didn’t have the endurance of a Dust Devil, and a sprint like that would have surely taken up all their energy. That gave them an edge, and Rarity hoped the others in their group were smart enough to take advantage of it.

They exited the valley and began riding over and among the hills. The hostages followed Pinkie and Applejack like a line of school children after their teacher. Rarity suspected they’d scatter the instant the fighting started. If only they could have armed them all…

Abruptly, the direction of their travel changed. It seemed Pinkie was leading them on a new route to the south. This hadn’t been part of the plan, but Rarity didn’t question it. There could be no doubt that Pinkie knew the area better than they did, and if she thought an ambush lay ahead then Rarity could only trust the Major’s instincts. Even so, she reached down to ensure the safety strap on Silver Lining’s holster was loose.

Pinkie was sticking to the hilltops as best she could, leading them along ridges and ignoring the valleys. She was probably trying to ensure they’d see Cayenne coming. Rarity turned her head sideways. “Sweetie, keep an eye on everything to our right. I’ll watch the left. If you see any lizards or ponies out there, shout something immediately.”

“Okay!”

The hills and rocks continued to pass by, uneventful and uncaring. Rarity tried to keep the tension out of her body, but a continuous sense of dread and anticipation kept her on edge. Only four ponies to defend a couple dozen unarmed hostages. No matter how much she didn’t want it to be true, she couldn’t imagine a scenario where they all made it to the camp alive. There were simply too many to efficiently protect. Would it have been better for them to remain in captivity than to risk death like this?

The first shout came from the front. It was Pinkie, her voice somehow travelling all the way to the back of the herd. “Meanie pants to the left! Rarity, Cranky, we need you!”

Without a word, the two of them whipped the reins for some extra speed. Rarity looked out to the left and soon spotted Cayenne’s group riding at them from over a hill a little ahead of them. She counted eight riders, cursing under her breath. Applejack and Pinkie joined them, the four taking up a loose V-formation with Pinkie in the lead.

Applejack flung her head towards the hostages. “Nopony slows down! Y’all change course or slow down and you’re dead! Keep going and don’t wait for us!” She looked to Pinkie. “I hope there’s more to your plan than this.”

“Trust me, Jackie. Protect the hostages until they pass, then keep moving! I’ll handle the rest once we’re ahead of these meanies.” Not a soul mentioned that three of them were carrying unarmed passengers, but Rarity was certainly thinking about it. She released the reins and drew her weapons as the enemy disappeared from sight. They would likely meet atop the next hill.

Pinkie abruptly turned her lizard left while Applejack went right. The maneuver caught Rarity off guard, but thankfully Ophelia was ready and promptly followed behind Pinkie’s lizard while Cranky’s went behind Applejack’s. About two seconds later, Cayenne and her posse topped the hill, weapons all aimed in the wrong direction.

They were met by a lethal crossfire of lead. Within the first seconds, four of them went down, Cayenne included. The remaining half scattered to avoid running over their fallen, and Rarity brought down yet another rider just when they started firing back. As she counted bullets, an unhappy little pony in the back of her mind wondered at what point she was able to take a life without having to memorize faces and wonder about past lives.

The world was a cacophony of dust and bullets and screams. Rarity guided Ophelia into a tight turn on the side of a hill and headed for the center. One of the outlaws came at her with a rifle. Rarity conjured a shield well before the shot, then dropped it and gave him two hits with Ruby Heart. He doubled over in pain but remained mounted, riding past her and Sweetie with an expression of agony.

She looked away just in time to see Pinkie… on the back of an outlaw’s lizard? Before she could properly register the potential reasons for this, Pinkie cracked the butt of her baton on the mare’s head and sent her rolling off the lizard. The mare didn’t get back up.

There was a shriek. A familiar one. Rarity looked ahead to see Cayenne standing amongst her fallen brethren, mouth opened wide and eyes ablaze with fury. She held her bleeding side with one arm and aimed a pistol at Rarity with the other. Their eyes met, and Rarity saw the renewed promise.

You’re my enemy as long as we’re both breathing.

She charged, a shield rising up before her and Ophelia. Cayenne fired, and the shield flickered from the impact. Rarity didn’t flinch. Another shot. Another flicker.

Sweetie’s worried voice met her ears. “Rarity? What are you doing?”

Bang. Flicker.

“Rarity?”

Bang. Flicker.

Cayenne didn’t move. She just pulled the trigger, her eyes locked with Rarity’s as though she might channel her bullets into Rarity’s body by force of will alone.

Bang bang. Flicker flicker.

“Rarity!”

Bang. Flicker.

Cayenne kept pulling the trigger. No more bullets hit the shield. She threw her gun at Rarity and charged, shrieking as she did. And all along, Rarity felt no anger. She only felt pity as a quiet question drifted across her mind. What fills you with so much hatred?

She turned at the last moment. Cayenne slammed into her weakened shield from the side with enough force to shatter it, but the impact knocked her off her hooves. Wincing from a jagged pain in her skull, Rarity didn’t look back. She didn’t want Cayenne to know she was on Rarity’s mind. Let her think herself insignificant. Let her think that she stood no chance. Maybe then she’d finally give up her foolish, hateful mission.

A glance around revealed no other outlaws. Applejack came alongside her, uninjured and curling her rope as if it had just been used for some unknowable purpose. Winona was curled deep in her basket, perhaps for protection? “Glad to see you’re as capable in a fight as the stories say,” Applejack told Rarity, though her face bore no smile.

“Don’t compliment me,” Rarity growled at her, which turned the neutral expression into a disappointed, sad frown. For once, she felt no guilt.

“That went way better than I expected,” Pinkie declared, suddenly at Rarity’s left and back on her own lizard. “Everypony okay?”

Cranky thundered past them, his eyes straight ahead. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. The blood running down his passenger’s side did the talking for him.

“Coco!” Rarity whipped Ophelia into a gallop.

Author's Note:

The World of Bulletproof Heart

The Battle of Ponyville

The small town of Ponyville was founded by the Apple Family some two centuries before the events of Bulletproof Heart. Located in the Bowl of Equestria roughly equidistant between the Sunpeaks and Hoofington, it was intended to act as a rest spot and potential trade depot for travelers and traders. The town never grew into the trade hub the Family had hoped, and eventually Ponyville became autonomous from the Family. Despite this, it was widely regarded as a bastion of the Family's core values of respect, integrity, and friendship.

When the Bad Apples began to break off from the Family, their leader Blackjack wanted Ponyville for its reputation as a status symbol. His initial efforts to claim the town diplomatically were quickly quelled, so he decided to take it by force. Aligning himself with the Bandit Countess and her Razzle Dazzles, he led a siege on the town. The town's defenders included a local militia, a small Hoofington Army unit that happened to be stationed there at the time, and the famous Rainbow Gang, who had learned about the attack in advance and volunteered their services to defend the town.

The battle began on Rising Heat 97 in the year 988. Lasting for a full week, it mostly involved pinpoint strikes by the bandits against dug-in defenders. On the eighth day of fighting, an artillery unit arrived and began shelling the town. How the bandits acquired such hardware and the trained ponies to use it is a mystery, although the most common suspicion is that a Hoofington artillery brigade went rogue and/or was bribed into joining the assault. Hoofington stalwartly denies these allegations.

Regardless of how and why the artillery came to be on the bandits' side of the fighting, it signaled the beginning of the end of the battle. The defenders, unprepared for such an onslaught, were soon faced with an all-out assault from the bandits. Within a matter of hours the defense crumbled and Ponyville fell. While exact numbers are unknown, it has long been established that most of the citizens were slaughtered in the ensuing mayhem, including three members of the Rainbow Gang. Best estimates are that only a couple dozen ponies escaped the town.

Shortly after the battle, the Apple Family Conflict began in earnest.

The Battle of Ponyville was unprecedented in recent history, both for who the attacking force was and the scope of the killing. It is widely agreed that Equestria on the whole changed afterwards. With the fall of the Rainbow Gang and the horror of the slaughter, the public began to lose faith in the concept of heroic drifters. The major city states, afraid to commit against such a determined criminal presence and exacerbate the ongoing chaos, withdrew their armies to defensive stances to wait things out, and soon abandoned their holdings in the wilds to their own survival. Trade caravans lost their military protection, and inter-city relations grew cold. Facing no collaborative effort to deal with the ongoing crisis, the Bad Apples and other gangs throughout Equestria flourished. Famous drifters, ponies known for fighting against such organizations, were overwhelmed and killed off one at a time with nopony willing to take their place.

As for Ponyville itself, it has been one of the Bad Apple Gang's primary headquarters ever since the battle. Another headquarters is rumored to exist in the east, but if so it's location has been effectively kept secret even from its own members. Regardless, the general consensus of anypony not in the Gang is to avoid the town at all costs. So powerful is this stigma that modern maps actually omit the town's existence, as though it had never been there in the first place.

Comments

[gerandakis]

Well, that could have gone significantly worse.

from the Mooisville

from the Mooisville what? Or just from Mooisville?

whatever they want

wanted

the gang get hold of them

got

the concern in his eyes were

was ... keep track of your subjects, you're talking bout the concern, not the eyes

who as ushering Apple Split away

was

This is getting really interesting, I'm just gonna assume that Coco is 'just' injured. So far at least, none of characters on the cover have died (as far as I'm aware) ...

[Thought Prism]

Dude. The intensity here just keeps ratcheting higher and higher.

[Thought Prism]

Wait, I just thought of something hilarious.

Rarity after the duel:

[reader238]

9199422
Except Breaburn

[gerandakis]

9199583
If that in the back is supposed to be Braeburn, then I don't know what happened to the shading, he looks like an adult, male version of Applebloom ... the coat is an approximate match, but Braeburn's mane is a pale orange (sorry, color words, brilliant gamboge), not red. And while I can hardly see his eyes, they look brown to me, not green (sorry, brilliant pistachio) like Braeburn's. So either the artist messed up the shading on this one, which seems unlikely as everyone else is pretty much spot on, or that isn't Braeburn.

[Pyro The Reader]

No doubt about what AJ did in this story, yikes.

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Holy emperor....

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

I fear Blackjack is Big Mac.

Also darn you for leaving it there

[Reese]

"here on business They might"
"here on business. They might"?

"actually from the Mooisville."
Missing word(s), or extra "the"?

"her palm of the top"
"her palm on the top"?

"flicked as it as if to chase"
"flicked as if to chase"?

"The concern in his eyes were more than enough."
"The concern in his eyes was more than enough."?

"to rip you pieces with my bare"
"to rip you to pieces with my bare"?

"hands balled into fits"
"hands balled into fists"?

"every few few seasons to handle"
"every few seasons to handle"?

"who as ushering Apple Split"
"who was ushering Apple Split"?

[Mitch H]

All of the hostages

[ShadowLDrago]

Pinkie had reminded her that they were now deep in the Bad Apple Gang’s territory. That was as much as she would say on the matter.

Hm...

They reached the bottom of one of the hills with an artillery piece, at which point Pinkie leapt off Ophelia. “I’m gonna run ahead and let the others know you’re coming,” she said cheerfully. “Don’t want them thinking you’re bandits or something, right?” She darted up the hill with a speed that made Rarity wonder if the mare could out sprint a Leaper.

That would be bad.

Their path brought them close to the artillery piece on top of the hill. It was made of what appeared to be copper or brass. The weapon stood a good five feet taller than Rarity even as she rode on Ophelia, its barrel jutting into the sky at a sharp angle. Although she couldn’t hope to understand how the device worked, she could at least tell that it had thick wooden wheels and was meant to be hauled around by sand lizards. Judging by the lack of tracks in the dirt, she suspected it had been sitting there for some time. At least the soldiers had been maintaining the thing, or so it seemed from her roving inspection. There wasn’t a speck of dust on the artillery piece, and every part glistened in the sunlight as if freshly polished.

Das a cannon.

“Your lack of faith is noted,” Rarity replied sourly. “I don’t care how it looks, I care about results.” She caught him staring at her. “What?”

You have changed.

Even though we’re called a brigade, we’ve only got 322 ponies, so we’re more like a battalion, really.

That is a lot of ponies.

The dark look faded as quickly as it had come. Pinkie grinned and waved her hands in the air. “No way! You’re staying the night so that we can have a party and you can meet all my best friends here at the base and I’ll even pull from my special stores and bake you a super-duper awesome and scrumptioseriffic cake! I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

You can't out stubborn Pinkie Pie.

“No, Rarity. Trust me. It would be dangerously rude to miss this party.”

You scare me.

He grumbled something under his breath, but made no further comment. Rarity did her absolute best not to giggle.

I'm just laughing.

Shooting a critical glance at Pinkie, Captain Fall asked, “And you intend to rescue them. I trust the Major has emphasized to you just how dangerous that is?”

She has.

“That’s crazy.” Staff Sergeant Dust snapped. “What do you intend to do, storm into the town guns blazing?”

For all you know.

Pinkie frowned, rubbing her palm of the top of her baton. “Actually, I brought you here because the Bad Apples do patrols in the area at night and would have surely captured or killed you in your sleep if you hadn’t stayed.”

Ah. That would do it.

“Now that’s not exactly true,” Pinkie countered, though there was an unpleasant bite to her voice. “We let them come in to take their mail, and I have to go into town sometimes to ‘negotiate’ with the leader.”

Negotiate?

Staff Sergeant Dust let out a low growl. He pulled out a combat knife and began cleaning his claws. “Hoofington’s deal with the Bad Apple Gang is to meet with a representative once every four weeks, or more if either side requires, to ‘negotiate’ the ongoing ceasefire. This almost always means giving some kind of tribute to the Gang in return for a promise to leave official city caravans and traders alone.”

Ah. Friggin' cowards.

“And in the meantime,” Captain Frost said coolly, “there’s no arm of the Hoofington military out there to make sure they keep their word. We are bound to obey the agreement by our own bureaucracy while the Gang gets away with breaking its word every day.”

Of course.

“And if we don’t?” Pinkie leaned heavily against the table, her tail flicking like that of an agitated cat. “Then we stay until we do. I’ve been here for two years. That’s nothing.” She gestured in the Captain’s general direction. “Frosty here’s been stuck at this post for six.”

Wow.

“It’s not as crazy as you might think.” Captain Frost’s smile was dull and bitter. “If we leave the army, we lose our ability to affect anything at all. At least if we stay we have a slim hope of making a difference when someone does decide to do something about it.”

Sounds like a vicious circle of uselessness.

“It’s all we have,” Staff Sergeant Dust grumbled, casually spinning his blade in his paws in ways that defied Rarity’s comprehension of gravity. “It’s a bad cycle, but it’s ours.”

Hm...

Pinkie sighed, twirling her baton— “Pound Cake.” —Pound Cake between two fingers.

Rarity blinked. “Wait, how did you know I was—?”

Captain Frost raised an eyebrow, her expression steely. “And who are you to decide that?”

The Bulletproof Heart.

“She can’t be serious,” he countered, at last sitting up from his lazy position so that he could point at Rarity. “Or she’s lying. The Bulletproof Heart’s a myth.”

Not exactly.

“Plus we have artillery pieces to consider,” Captain Frost added, expression grim. “If we went rogue, we’d have to abandon those. Would you rather the Gang get hold of them?”

What makes you think they know how to use them?

Rarity caught Pinkie’s finger in her magic before it could poke her again. “That hurts.”

That is presumably the idea.

The fire lost some of its fuel, but didn’t go out completely. Slowly, Rarity focused her attention on Pinkie once more. The Major had her hands behind her back and appeared grim. “If you’d calm down and let me talk, maybe you’ll find out about it.”

You have a plan, then.

Staff Sergeant Dust wasn’t so hesitant. “I still think you’re a crazy pony.” He crossed his arms and smirked. “But you’ve got guts. That counts for something.”

She is a bit crazy yes, nearly dying several times does that.

Has anypony mentioned you’re a lot sturdier than you look?”

A few ponies a few times.

“Friends?” Apple Split cast his disdainful gaze upon Rarity, then Cranky. “More like scum. Bone heads and jackasses aren’t welcome in Ponyville. I suggest you send them back to whatever sewer they crawled from before my boys’ trigger fingers start twitching.”

That was a poor choice of words.

Her entire body went taught like a steel cord, hands clenched into claws and hackles raised. That voice. It… It couldn’t be.

And yet.

“Hey, I thought you were having as much fun as I was. Woah, nelly!” She jumped back, barely avoiding Rarity’s fist. “What are you mad at me for? You were the one getting smashed. I thought it was a regular thing for you.”

Ah, so sex DID happen.

Apple Split finally recovered enough to realize she was storming straight at him. His eyebrows shot up as he raised his hands as though to ward her off. “H-hey, calm down, there’s no need to—” He yelped as her magic caught his ears and jerked him forward. Before any of the others could react, she had Silver Lining pressed against his side and Ruby Heart against his groin.

You may wanna stop talking bud.

Trembling, Apple Split glanced around at their deathly silent audience. “Y-you’ll be the target of everypony h-here. That’s not how these things—

You want a shovel for that hole you're digging?

Rarity sneered. “You expect me to trust you?”

You don't have much in the way of options.

Apple Split’s hesitant voice interrupted Rarity’s “Jackie? You know Blackjack and Velvet won’t like this.”

That is YOUR problem.

Rarity could almost swear Cayenne’s eyes had burst into flames with fury. “You can’t tell me not to interfere! I have a right to kill that cunt!”

You are going to die if this continues.

Pinkie promptly turned back to Rarity. “I don’t know whether you’re really lucky or really dumb, Rares.”

Both.

Swallowing the lump in her throat failed to ease the tension in it. Rarity resorted to a simple, sharp nod. One shot, two guns each. Silver Lining was fast, but fast enough to beat those little pistols Applejack sported? Ruby Heart would have to fire last. If Applejack’s aim was good, it wouldn’t get a chance.

And her aim is good.

Such lovely eyes. Sap green. Applejack was fairly pretty in her own rugged way. How many mares had she lured to bed with those eyes?

Probably more than just you.

The cloud passed. Two ponies went into motion.

Rarity felt the impact before she heard the shots

I'm not entirely sure if Wild West revolvers could fire bullets that fast but, sure.

Silver Lining shot up and fired. Applejacks body twisted at the hip, her eyes wide with shock as Ruby Heart took aim…

She's the Bulletproof Heart for a reason.

Despite everything, the mare smirked. “And here I thought the Bulletproof Heart was just a fancy name the Buffalo made up for ya.”

Hardly.

Applejack’s smile melted into a stern frown. “I’m nothing if not honest.” Slowly, with one hand on her bleeding hip, she stood up and turned to the outlaws guarding the hostages. “Let ‘em go. All of ‘em.” She paused, head turning to look at something. Rarity followed her look with a glance, and immediately saw what had caught her attention: Cayenne was gone.

Where the hell is she?

Applejack met her gaze, her eyes once more hard. “No pony with Apple blood in her will shoot at me, not right now.”

Cayenne seems dead set on revenge, I dunno.

“Oh my gosh that was amazing! You came for me and you fought that bad pony and got shot and lived and I’ve got the coolest, best big sister ever!”

You really do.

Rocking back and forth, Rarity ignored her burning eyes and replied, “Let me have this. I’ve needed it far more than I realized.”

Things are going far too well. I'm expecting a nasty cliffhanger.

“Thank you so much for coming for us, Cranky. You’re a true gentlecolt.” Coco planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, prompting the donkey to go more red than a sunset in the desert.

HEH.

“Okay, we’re ready to go,” Applejack said, looking between Rarity, Cranky, and Pinkie. She looked awfully pain-free for somepony who just took a bullet to the shoulder. Only now did Rarity notice a distinct lack of blood. “I don’t suppose y’all gotta plan for when the snake sees the frog?”

I wonder, does she have some sort of armor too?

What fills you with so much hatred?

You shot her coltfriend.

“Coco!” Rarity whipped Ophelia into a gallop.

FUCK! You asshole!

[dvdspires]

Seeing that Raijack has pretty much been confirmed as canon on the EQG side of things, I certainly hope that Rarity can overcome her one-night stand issues and make at the very least a workable relationship/friendship with AJ. It may prove useful in the long run.

[BigD]

Velvet? As in Twilight Velvet?

[Mitch H]

9200785

Given that Blackjack is the other leader mentioned it is probably Velvet Remedy, as a Fallout Equestria reference.

[Tekket]

Absolutely amazing. The whole story has been fantastic. This chapter was superb and everything I wanted out of badss Rarity, the pacing coming up to it was well done, and the action was well worth the steady build up.
I applaud you and give a standing ovation.

[RoboRed]

Damnit. I knew that wouldn't go off without some bad news...

[Dorath]

But Pinkie was right, she wasn’t being fair to her or her officers

Two years sitting on her ass for Pinkie, six years for Frost. Writing them off as useless is completely fair.

Let her think herself insignificant. Let her think that she stood no chance. Maybe then she’d finally give up her foolish, hateful mission.

No, Rarity, the only way to get Cayenne to stop is for you to mareup to reality and kill her.

“Coco!” Rarity whipped Ophelia into a gallop.

Aw, damn it!

On the eighth day of fighting, an artillery unit arrived and began shelling the town.

Yep, The Bad Apples own Hoofington's leadership.

[son_of_heaven176]

And the family is once step closer to being reunited.

Typo:

Apple Split’s hesitant voice interrupted Rarity’s “Jackie? You know Blackjack and Velvet won’t like this.”

Looks like you missed some words and/or punctuation between "Rarity's" and ""Jackie?""

And off to the next chapter!

[RTStephens]

I was curious to see if Pinkie Pie would pop up at some point and that's quite literally what happened. Good to see that even a world of violence hasn't diminished her spirit too much. Now we just need to find her a pretty necklace!

The uneasy truce with the Bad Apples, the actual Apples, and the other city states kinda hits hard at home. I'm likening the Battle of Ponyville to be our world equivalent to 9/11. A lot of wide-eyed innocents was lost that day.

I'm split on the duel. I don't feel I got enough of a sense of what Rarity was up against until after the fact. What helps sell it for me is the fact that if Rarity hadn't pulled a Clint Eastwood, she would have lost that fight. Cold. She's a good shot but not a particularly fast one.

Now it's a fight and run situation. Let's see who survives, next time!

There are some other things I want to comment on but I'll wait for the end. I'm saving it for my final thoughts.

[My name is R]

Judging by the lack of tracks in the dirt, she suspected it had been sitting there for some time. At least the soldiers had been maintaining the thing, or so it seemed from her roving inspection. There wasn’t a speck of dust on the artillery piece, and every part glistened in the sunlight as if freshly polished.

From what I know about military life, which is admittedly not a lot, they keep their equipment in pristine condition while their not doing much else, and pay a bit less attention to upkeep while in an active war zone. I think there's something about instilling discipline, but again, I'm not an expert in military culture. I have a fascination with their equipment and tactics, but have no desire to actually join them.

Wait, they have a wall, but they keep their canons outside of it? That seems odd.

There came a groan. Slowly, Applejack sat up, clutching her right shoulder with a grimace. Rarity allowed the air to leave her lungs… then marched forward, weapons poised. Applejack didn’t notice her approach until she was about ten feet away.
Despite everything, the mare smirked. “And here I thought the Bulletproof Heart was just a fancy name the Buffalo made up for ya.”

On the one hand, telling everypony exactly where not to shoot her ought to make her job harder. On the other, some people just have to try and disprove the legends.

“I don’t suppose y’all gotta plan for when the snake sees the frog?”
[...]
“Yeah, I’ve got one,” she declared as if she were discussing the plans for her next party. “And it’s a good one, like, really really good. But we gotta get halfway there before we can do it, so…”

Is it canons?

Pinkie abruptly turned her lizard left while Applejack went right. The maneuver caught Rarity off guard, but thankfully Ophelia was ready and promptly followed behind Pinkie’s lizard while Cranky’s went behind Applejack’s. About two seconds later, Cayenne and her posse topped the hill, weapons all aimed in the wrong direction.

Very nice!