• Member Since 16th May, 2013
  • offline last seen 7 hours ago

PaulAsaran


Technical Writer from the U.S.A.'s Deep South. Writes horsewords and reviews. New reviews posted every other Thursday! Writing Motto: "Go Big or Go Home!"

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In a sunburned Equestria, Rarity leads the pleasant life of a clothier in the tiny town of Spurhoof. She’s got a successful business, a capable assistant, and the respect of the place she’s called home for six years. Maybe she never achieved her foalhood dreams of fabulosity, but at least she’s comfortable. What more can a mare ask for?

Then a band of outlaws decide to pay Spurhoof a visit, and their leader’s eye has settled upon Rarity. Soon she’ll have to fight not only for her life, but maybe her very soul. Will her diamond turn dull under the hot Equestrian sun, or will adversity make her shine all the brighter?


Print copies now available for purchase on Lulu!.


Now featured on Equestria Daily.

Inspired by Fallout: Equestria and the song Bulletproof Heart by My Chemical Romance.

Other stories inspired by music:
Escape
Ordinary World
Bed of Roses
Drops of Jupiter
How to Save a Life
Forgive Me, Friend
Time for Tea

A big thanks to my brainstorming fellow and ever-awesome friend SorenPixels, who has helped me ponder the plans for this story since its inception.

Additional kudos to Danger Beans and Cerulean Voice for their help with the first few chapters.

Big thanks to the fantastic author Viking ZX for taking time out of his busy schedule to be my Alpha pre-reader.

Last but certainly not least, my gratitude to my gang of Beta pre-readers: Babroniedad, Lord-Commander, Merc the Jerk, Snowybee, Soge, and Wanderer D!


I was not prepared for the absolutely stunning world building or the incredibly well done characters. [...] This is a work of absolute art. — Equstarte Marine Sebaste

Reading and re-reading (and re-reading) this story was an amazing experience. It will always be one of my favorites! — Wanderer D

I dare say this is a masterpiece of the fandom. — FanOfMostEverything

It's a gorgeous, vivid-drawn setting you've crafted for this, and it hits its gritty Western beats and epic scope with aplomb. Rarity's character journey in this is a stellar one, and her gradual sink into (and recovery at the brink of) [...] darkness was wonderfully and believably told. — Carabas

Cover art commissioned from the fantastic bakki, with title work generously donated by Novel-Idea.

Chapters (27)
Comments ( 716 )

The one story I will actually make time to read has finally arrived.
Keen as a baked bean to be see'n more of this. Haven't had a good western to sink my eyeballs into since Dust and Harmony.

9106338
Here’s hoping you enjoy it as much as most have so far. It’s good to finally have it out there. Expect regular updates for the next couple months.

Oh sweet deliciousness, that was good. It's a natural, and thorough introduction to the character and the setting.

I simply cannot wait for the next chapter, for this one was certainly worth the hype!

Some else uses belle as rarity’s last name neat

Bout damn time. The wait was killing me.

That Roth–Steyr looking pistol shes holding in her left had has me quiet distracted ugh. Probably because its a "Wild west" setting so what appears to be a semi-automatic pistol is kind of distracting.

Still amazing artwork by bakki as always.

Should probably actually read the story though. :trollestia:

Woo hoo! It's out! Awesome! :pinkiehappy: And that cover is fantastic! :raritywink:
This is on my faves for sure. :twilightsmile:

9106367
So glad you approve! Updates will be thrice weekly, so you won’t have to wait too long.

9106369
I think it’s a fairly common practice among those who bother giving her a last name at all.

9106454
And how do you think it was for me?

9106459
bakki asked me to give some picture references. Nothing really matched my vision and he didn’t quiet get it all right, but I’m okay with that considering the overall quality of the cover. I don’t know near as much about guns as I probably should so at least some of the fault with the gun’s look is my own.

9106474
IKR? Worth every penny.

9106486
And a thank you again for pre-reading for me!

9106602 Oh man, that often? You are a gift from the Gods.

9106631
I don’t know about that. I’ve just been working on it for a year-and-a-half.

9106669 I had forgotten in the brief excitement. But still, most people have it on a weekly basis, so this is a welcome change of pace.

Congrats on getting it out, by the way! It's very good :pinkiehappy:

me given too much attention

ACUBE used self destruct!

Really glad to see this out. It is a fantastic story, and I hope it gets the attention it deserves.

9106938
That video’s... pretty cool, actually.

Well... I must say, this is top notch quality!
I honestly like the pacing and the world building so far, but I have the feeling that there's more that will be seen as the story progresses...

Consider this tracked, faced, liked, and a follow for you!

You know, the west has always been one of my favorite things. And this has my attention fully. I almost feel like I should wear my black cowboy hat, black long coat, and a gun belt while reading this. I think this is great. Please, keep going.

Oh my. You have crafted a fascinating and deeply intriguing universe here. Eagerly looking forward to seeing what comes of this setup.

A very intense start, one that certainly lives up to all the anticipation and hype you've fostered over the past few weeks. This sort of western setting always gets me nostalgic for Trigun. I fully expect the events of the story to harden Rarity into a Meryl-esque figure by the end.

Just so you know this is currently on the featured page, and out of curiosity will this story have a schedule of any kind?

9107068
Been spoiled a bit but I recommend the full animation.

9108006
Oh, believe me I was aware. And the story’s already completely written and edited. I’ll be releasing chapters three days a week until the end. Updates are currently planned for Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday.

9107977
Heh, I used to think Meryl was a hottie. Ah, the old days when my waifus were all anime babes.

9108013
Now that’s my kind of animation. Makes me want to write something about this Undertaker fellow.

...but I won’t.

9108078
Alright then.
This story deserves a little music.

So which one has the hollow-point smile?

Faved, thumbed, tracked and followed. Looking forward to more.

9109160
Give it time and maybe you'll see.

Oh sweet jesus, them action scenes!

Plus, you're already tearing at my heartstrings by killing off Piecasso.
:fluttershbad:

Generosity begets generosity. Is Rarity really so surprised the town she gave so much to gives so much back in return?

I do love the incidental bits of world building, like the razing of Ponyville. That said, what do the good Apples expect people to do when faced with the bad ones? Lay down and die? Family's one thing, but self-defense is another.

I'm not surprised by Rarity's natural accuracy. If nothing else, she is precise. Though she could stand to remember she has telekinesis a bit more often. Ponies rarely expect the Littlepip Special.

Piecazzo might not have been Spike, but I do like how Rarity often finds herself in the company of noble reptiles. Still, now she's on her own in a cruel and arid world. We'll see what she does from here, and how much of the best little seamstress in Spurhoof remains by the end of it.

This is, frankly, really good. Your pacing and storytelling are very smooth and exciting. There are the old tropes of course--lady is somehow a trick-shot the first time she uses a gun, for instance--but that doesn't detract from this exciting western adventure. Miss Belle is real and fleshed out enough that she doesn't feel like a Mary Sue but the kind-hearted, yet extremely capable, mare we love her best portrayals for. I am eager to see what you put her through in future episodes!

Also, congratulations. I haven't so much as touched an anthro fic since I became a brony in 2012, but you hooked me with this one haha. :twilightsmile:

Huh! Crazy AU you've got going here. Of course, it seems to be fairly well thought out, which puts it ahead of most other AU's. Plus, I'm a sucker for a good western and there's the faintest possibility of Rarijack.

Though I will note a western without horses (or, uh, just talking horses instead of the four legged kind) is something of an odd image to write around.

Also, not a huge fan of the rape-threat trope, either (coming from Braeburn, who seems like a nice guy in mainline canon), but thankfully you don't push it too far. I guess it's just a matter of tone-- and how I tend to stick to the lighter stuff.

But yeah, read one chapter so far, and I'm curious to see where this is going!

Merciful emperor...
Okay, this is becoming one of my favourite stories! Very well executed and that ending smacked me right in the feels!

9110996
It so happens this is my first anthro story since I started writing MLP fanfiction in 2013, so it's good to know I'm doing well enough for others avoiding the... uh... format? Is that the right term here? Meh, regardless, point stands.

9111218
Picking Braeburn was a very deliberate decision. I wanted to show right away that this was an entirely different Equestria from the one we know, and the best way to do that was to show how some ponies ended up very different from what we know. There will be inevitable similarities, but also inevitable (and at times significant) changes.

It took me a little time to come up with lizards instead of horses, but it made more sense than having horses ride horses, y'know?

9111750
Well then I guess it's a first for both of us haha.

I'm hoping if Rarity meets Applejack, AJ believes that "One bad apple spoils the barrel" and hates the Bad Apple gang for ruining her family name.

Not to take anything away from this story. But, you picked a very good time to write this. Since Red Dead Redemption 2 is around the corner. I know you inspired this from something else, but I also see some RDR in this too. That's just me.

9110287
Right!?

I think she is going to find a wild one to tame.
That just so happens to be a rare breed or does something unique. Not that it is a bad thing just a neat trope i am looking forward to.

Guesses on what she is going to name her new lizard?

9112599 Carousel? Diamond? Gemstone? I don't even know

9112238
Sorry, but no. You’re not the first person to ask. I thought about getting some artwork done for the sand lizards, but I just don’t have the funds for more than the cover art right now. Aside from that, their appearances vary greatly depending on which of the three types they are, from the aerodynamic Leapers, the sturdy Dust Devils, or the wagon-sized Thick Scales. Maybe by the time the sequel rolls around I’ll have scrounged up the funds to commission some proper sketches.

The good news is that eventually there’s going to be a World of Bulletproof Heart section that goes into greater detail regarding the appearance and design of the Sand Lizards.

wow the3 princesses were idiots top just leave like that.

9113000
Is that what you think they did? :ajsmug: How I wish I could actually explain the details behind this, but alas, that would be spoilers for Book II.

9113019
well we have no real back story other then the sun is closer now and the sisters are now in them and Ponyville doesn't exist.

dang, she can't catch a break and lost her last connection to the town.

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