Fifteen - Last Goodbyes
“She’s in... hold on, repeat that for me. I think I might have heard a location that wasn’t Canterlot.”
“Well, she’s not in Canterlot. She’s at Neighagra Falls.”
Daring Do’s jaw dropped, her expression crestfallen. She stared at a guilty looking Rainbow Dash from across the dining room table, whom read from a letter in her hoof. The archaeologist rubbed her forehead, scowling at the table in front of her. Braeburn placed a warm hoof on her back, sitting next to her. Azure Spark and Applejack had seated themselves at either end of the table, looking between Rainbow and Daring. “Does her letter explain... well, why?”
The prismatic mare looked back to the letter, furrowing her brow as she read. “‘To my dearest student, Twilight Sparkle,’ blah, blah, blah... Oh, here it is. ‘I am currently at Neighagra Falls to meet with Shining Armor about the security of the Crystal Empire under these uncertain times. However, if this warning is correct, I shall head to Canterlot immediately. Sure Shot has already proven himself to be quite a threat, and we shall take every precaution available. The information of his partnership with Ahuitzotl is indeed troubling, but I am certain that neither Luna nor the Royal Guard will allow either of them to bring harm to anypony should they arrive before I do. Please let Miss Daring Do know that I am overjoyed to hear of her safety, and that I greatly appreciate her warning. However, I will have to order her and everypony else to abide by the current eight o’ clock curfew. I assure you, it is for your safety. Sincerely, Princess Celestia.’”
“She’s ordering me to stick to that curfew? As in... forbidding me?” asked Daring, folding her forelegs with a cross expression.
“Certainly sounds like it,” said Azure regretfully, fiddling with his forehooves atop the table.
Braeburn groaned softly, letting his face fall into his hooves. “Somehow, that just seems like a really bad idea. Ah mean, what if Sure Shot’s been plannin’ fer Celestia bein’ there?”
“I would bet anything that he has,” the cyan unicorn answered with grave confidence. “Sure Shot doesn’t just throw himself face first into a battle; he plans every step carefully before he even considers engaging a target. He certainly did with you, Braeburn.”
The riflepony blinked, finding himself surprised. He looked back down to the old wooden table top, his forelegs hanging uselessly between his knees. “How can we just sit here and take Celestia’s word that she’ll take care o’ this?”
“Probably ‘cause she’s literally the most powerful being in Equestria,” said Applejack dryly, leaning a single elbow on the table. “Ah’m sorry, but Ah just don’t see the issue here. If Celestia says that she can take care o’ somethin’, then Ah definitely trust her.”
“It’s like I said: Sure Shot is a genius. I would be more surprised if she thwarted him rather than the other way around,” explained Azure. “It’s not just about power here; it’s about strategy and preparation. But without us being there, I am not sure if-”
“And just who said that we weren’t going?” Daring Do interjected, effectively silencing everypony in the dining room. They all stared at her with cross looks, lips parted in confusion.
Braeburn hesitated for a moment before slowly bringing a hoof up to point at the letter in Rainbow Dash’s hoof, keeping his eyes on the dark yellow mare. “Ah’m sorry, but were you not a part o’ this here conversation? The Princess ordered you to-”
“I’m sorry, but are you new here?” Daring shot back, looking to her coltfriend with a grimace. “I don’t care what the Princess said. She doesn’t know what kind of ponies are going after her city. If she wants to throw me behind bars for keeping Equestria from a bloody apocalypse or whatever the heck Sure Shot wants to do with the Fyre of Tartarus, then I would love to see her try.”
Braeburn already had his mouth open to reply, but was ultimately silenced by the mare’s last sentence. He closed his lips, pursing them as he stared at Daring Do. He remembered the look on her face all too well. It was defiant, but not lacking good intentions in the slightest. The riflepony couldn’t argue with her if he tried, especially not after what he did to free her from her imprisonment. He knew what it meant to break the law, as well as his moral code to do what was right. The stallion’s face fell, looking to the floor between their stools. Out of the corner of his eye, Braeburn saw her shift on her seat, turning to face him.
“So tell me why Twilight couldn’t just come on over and deliver that letter herself?” asked Applejack. “Ah would’a thought that she’d wanna see Daring again.”
“I don’t even know if that message got through to her,” said Rainbow. “I got there to have her send Daring’s letter and she had her face stuck in one of her books again. I tried to tell her what the letter was about, but all I got was ‘yup’ and ‘uh-huh.’ At least she sent it.”
While the others delved themselves into their own conversation, Daring brought Braeburn’s face up with a hoof, resting it on his cheek. “Something’s on your mind, isn’t it? Don’t worry, we’ll talk about it when we can get some privacy for more than five darned seconds.”
Braeburn chuckled, flicking his eyes to the left to make sure the other three ponies weren’t listening in. “Pretty unfortunate way to start somethin’ like this, huh?”
Daring grinned, her eyes softening on him. “Hey, I’ve had worse. But listen, we have to do this. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, but that ain’t the problem,” he whispered back.
Daring blinked, her rose eyes searching his with a curious look on her face. Braeburn smiled inwardly, knowing full and well that he was being broken down and analyzed. It only took a moment for her to frown, evidently coming to a conclusion. “No... no it’s not. You’ve got a lot more plaguing you, huh? Yeah, I get that. It’s not like I didn’t notice the little mess you made when you carried me outta that ruin.”
Braeburn removed her hoof from his cheek, holding it between his own. “Look, Ah ain’t gonna get anything outta talkin’ ‘bout it, at least not now. Let’s just ferget about everything and busy ourselves until yer ship gets here.”
The mare frowned again. “Are you sure about that?”
“Don’t worry, Ah’ll be fine,” he said, offering a small smile. “We got a lot ahead o’ us, so we might as well try and distract ourselves before we leave.”
“Yeah... Yeah, okay.”
Daring Do stood atop a small cloud, her body crouched low like a lioness ready to pounce on her prey. She kept her right hindleg further back than the other, her left ready to kick off the imaginary starting line. Her eyes were fixated on a series of clouds formed into thin rings ahead, situated at varying heights and distances, but still conveying a visible course. In the distance to the right, the bright setting sun had been veiled by a large wall of clouds, keeping the blinding rays from hindering Daring. The air was perfect for flying. The temperature was cool, carrying the familiar smell of apples and the autumn season. The mare stretched her wings, her feathers reveling in the cool air. Her shirt and pith hat were gone from her body, sitting on the table back in the barn below.
Aside the archaeologist stood Rainbow Dash, her mane tied back in a tail under a red and white cap, a silver whistle slung around her neck. She held a stopwatch in her hoof, ready to start. She had indeed gone out of her way to create the course, including the shroud in front of the sun. But Rainbow Dash looked nothing but excited to see what her friend could do in the sky. The cloud they stood upon floated high in the air, making the barn home below look like a filly’s dollhouse. It had been far too long since Daring used her wings in such a way, what the cyan pegasus had called ‘the proper way.’ If she was going to do what she had set her mind to, Daring would need every last second of practice she could get.
Using awe-inspiring tricks and maneuvers to impress a crowd was one thing, but using them to get the upper hoof on a demi-god was another thing entirely. Daring wasn’t learning to show off or win any medals; she was learning to combat the monster that tore her life apart. If she had one tool to fight Ahuitzotl with, it was her wings. She needed to be able to move flawlessly through the air; to be able to dodge a flying set of claws with nothing but reflexes. Up to this point, the archaeologist’s flight skills were nothing to speak much of. She needed to change that.
“Ready, coach,” Daring declared, giving her wings and tail a challenging, simultaneous flick.
“On your mark, get set… GO!”
Daring Do threw all of her strength into her wings and left hindleg, shoving them back with all her might. As her body left the starting cloud, she extended her forelegs forward and her hindlegs backward. The first ring was simple, set up level with the starting point and only five meters away. With a powerful flap of her wings, the mare ascended to bolt through the second. The first two loops were simple, something even a filly could accomplish. However, the difficulty curve of the course presented itself immediately after that. Her preconceived notions were instantly thrown aside as she emerged from the other side of the second ring. The third was set at an upward angle, at least ten meters below her.
The pegasus grit her teeth in determination, tucking her wings in and diving for the ground. She knew that gravity would accelerate her speed, but she hadn’t guessed it would assist her so much. Daring’s confident expression faltered as a small bout of panic rose in her chest. She threw her wings outward, slowing her down, but not quite enough to make the third checkpoint. The pegasus rocketed past the cloud ring, not able to stop herself until she was far below it. Daring groaned, slapping a hoof to her forehead. Knowing that the mistake would cause her ending time to be far too high, she decided to shamefully fly back to the starting cloud.
A part of her expected Rainbow to look disappointed, but was surprised to find her chuckling. “Hehe, yeah, that third one gets everypony at first.”
“It didn’t look that hard from here,” Daring muttered, digging a hoof into the fluffy cloud. “Wait, ‘everypony’? Have you set this up for other pegasi?”
“A couple,” said Rainbow. “I’m the head of Ponyville’s Weather Patrol, so I have to make sure my workers are the best fliers they can be. But sometimes I have ponies that want to really better themselves, so I’ve made a few of these courses to help them out. I mean, if this one’s too difficult for you, I can always set up the one I use for Scootaloo.”
“Who’s Scootaloo?”
“A filly from town,” Rainbow answered, wearing a cruel grin.
Daring scowled before bolting off the cloud again, this time with more to fuel her determination. She sailed through the first two rings just as easily as the first time, now prepared for the third. She arched in the air, tucking her wings in as she dove. This time, Daring opened her wings a mere second after closing them. The pegasus slowed in her descent, finding herself nearly coming to a stop under the third ring. With a mighty flap of her wings, she rocketed upward through the loop, grinning brightly at herself. The next few checkpoints sent her further and further upward, all situated close together.
The pegasus grew confident and spiraled through the final three horizontal rings. It did nothing to affect her time, but she wanted to at least make up for her previous blunder. She was being trained by the one and only Rainbow Dash; the only pony capable of reaching supersonic flight. Daring wanted to do nothing but impress her.
She emerged atop the ascending length of rings, finding the next set heading downward before making a sharp turn and leveling out above the orchard. Daring furrowed her brow and dove once again. She tunneled through the checkpoints, her wings stretched out to the sides. At the end of her glide, the mare pounded her wings, sending her barreling around the turn, perhaps too quickly. Daring swore to herself as she felt her left wing cut through the side of a cloud ring. She knew that points would have been taken off, but she wasn’t giving up because of a small mistake like that.
However, in her acceleration, Daring didn’t notice herself flying far under the next line of checkpoints. She threw out her wings, bringing herself to a hover on the outside of the course. The pegasus grimaced, hanging her head low as she slowly returned to the starting cloud. “Darn it!”
“Hey now, that was great!” Rainbow encouraged, wearing a sincere grin.
“I flew out of the course!” Daring argued. “How is that great?”
“Daring, no pegasus has completed any of my tracks their first time,” the cyan mare explained. “In fact, nopony got through that third checkpoint until their fifth or sixth try. You did it on your second, and with decent timing!”
“R-Really?” Daring stammered, bewildered.
“Yeah! Look, you’ve got great potential; it’s just that you’re outta practice,” said Rainbow Dash. “Maybe you just need to sit back and watch a pro do it. You know, for pointers.”
Without waiting for a reply, Rainbow bolted off the cloud, her hat flying off her head. The wind of her mighty wings instantly destroyed the starting cloud underhoof, catching Daring off-guard. She fell for a few hooves before she opened her wings, catching the red and white cap with a forehoof. The mare then turned her head in the direction of the course, her jaw falling open once she spotted Rainbow Dash already a quarter of the way through. The daredevil took every turn, arch and dive with a trick of some sort, whether it be a barrel roll or a tumble through a ring. What Daring witnessed looked impossible; she didn’t know that a pony could fly so quickly with such agility and style. She knew that Rainbow would be able to complete her own course in an efficient amount of time, but this was insane.
The cyan mare passed through a series of cloud rings effortlessly before coming to the homestretch. Ahead of her was nothing but open air, a tight ring far off into the distance. Daring watched in awe as her coach paused for a fraction of a second before snapping her wings back. The pegasus catapulted herself through the air, a vibrant prismatic trail behind her. Daring witnessed no rate of acceleration, only Rainbow snapping from hovering to bat-out-of-Tartarus in the blink of an eye. The cyan pegasus rocketed over the orchard, sailing flawlessly through the tight ring on the other side before she knew it.
Daring Do hovered uselessly in the air, her eyes wide and her jaw agape as she watch Rainbow Dash fly back toward her, wearing a smug grin. “And that, my friend, is how you do it.”
Four red delicious apples flew high into the air, reaching their apex about ten meters above the grass. They were grouped vaguely close together after being tossed, remaining a mere few hooves apart. Before gravity dragged them toward the ground, three of them blew apart into large pieces, the fourth spinning wildly in the air as it was grazed by its respective bullet. What remained of the fruits fell to the ground, accompanied by the gasps of awe-stricken voices. Braeburn opened the action of the brass rifle, ejecting the last shell as well as a thin plume of smoke. He grimaced at the one remaining apple on the ground, displeased with the deep gouge taken out of its side.
Applejack and Azure Spark, however, did not reflect his disappointment. They cheered loudly, stomping their forehooves in applause.
“Woo-ee, Braeburn! That was incredible!” Applejack exclaimed, readying the next four apples cradled in her foreleg. “Ah reckon all that practice really paid off!”
“Eh, it ain’t perfect yet,” Braeburn replied quietly, loading another four rounds through the rifle’s cartridge gate.
“You can say that when somepony else can shoot anywhere close to the way you do,” said Azure, his eyes still wide.
Braeburn inwardly appreciated the compliment, but wasn’t up for verbalizing it. Instead, he crouched on his hindlegs again, holding his weapon with its barrel pointed toward the ground. “Pull.”
To his right, Applejack threw the four apples upward in front of herself, turning around to kick them through the air in rapid succession like an automatic weapon. As soon as each fruit entered Braeburn’s field of vision, they were shot clear out of the air. He entered his usual flow, pushing himself to pick up the pace. The riflepony racked the action relentlessly, tapping the ultra-light trigger with each pass. This time, the first, second and fourth apples were broken into pieces, while the third was completely missed. The whole apple fell to the ground unceremoniously, instilling a twitch of Braeburn’s eye.
The beige stallion closed the action and reloaded, calling for Applejack to send the next round of targets into the air. The eleventh time seemed to be the charm, for all four apples exploded well before gravity took its course. Finally, Braeburn was able to smile to himself as the other two ponies cheered.
“Even if Sure Shot can shoot bullets out of the air, I don’t think he’s anywhere near as quick as that,” said Azure. “Seriously, that’s your best tool if you two ever have to shoot it out.”
“If? There ain’t no ‘ifs,’ Azure,” said Braeburn, sheathing the brass rifle on his back.
“Well in any case, your speed may be the tool you need to take him down,” the unicorn went on, a hopeful look on his face. “If he can’t keep up with you, then you can overwhelm him in a firefight.”
The riflepony paused before answering, finding an odd expression on his face. “Huh… yeah, maybe. Ah ain’t countin’ on nothin’, but Ah guess yer right.”
He looked back to Applejack, who didn’t seem quite as excited about the idea of Braeburn having an upper hoof. Once he caught her eye, the mare looked down, pawing at the grass. He knew exactly what was on her mind. He didn’t want to think about it at the moment, but it looked as if she needed to.
“Azure, can ya’ give me and my cousin a moment?” asked Braeburn, who merely received a curt nod in return. The unicorn closed his eyes, his horn glowing with a pale blue light. With a flash, Azure was gone and nowhere to be seen.
“Brae, ya’ didn’t have to do that,” said Applejack plainly, as if nothing were amiss.
“Come on now,” Braeburn started, removing the rifle from his back and sitting down on his haunches. He motioned for her to do the same, and she hesitantly complied. The mare’s demeanor shifted once the matter was cornered. She was happy and having fun only a minute ago, but now the farmer wore an annoyed, even hurt expression. “Tell me what’s on yer mind.”
“Ya’ know darned well what’s on my mind,” she muttered, scowling slightly somewhere off to her left.
“You don’t want me to go after Sure Shot,” Braeburn replied, his tone understanding. He let out a short sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, AJ-”
“No, Braeburn. No amount o’ reassurin’ is just gonna make me forget ‘bout this,” Applejack cut him off, looking up to him, although not in the eye. “Lettin’ you and yer Pa leave that day ate me up inside like nopony’s business! Ah never let it show, but you goin’ after Sure Shot and Ahuitzotl is a thought Ah can’t deal with! How d‘ya expect me to just sit back and relax while ya’ll throw yerselves off a bridge?”
“We’re not throwin’ ourselves off a-”
“Ya’ll might as well be!” the mare interrupted again, her volume increasing. “Ah know you and Uncle B are good rifleponies and what have ya’, but ya’ll could die! This ain’t just dangerous, it’s plain ol’ foolhardy! Why can’t ya’ just stay here where it’s safe and let the Princesses handle everything?”
“We can’t risk that, cousin,” Braeburn replied softly, his expression regretful. “If what we found out is true, then we gotta head ‘em off. We can’t gamble here if one of the outcomes is Sure Shot findin’ the Fyre; s’not worth it. Ponies could die, Applejack. If Ah can help stop that, then Ah’m gonna.”
“But… but yer my family, Brae,” Applejack whispered, her eyes glazing over. “If you get killed out there… Ah won’t be able to… to…”
The stallion frowned as he scooted forward, wrapping his cousin in his forelegs, holding her tight. She didn’t return the embrace, her body tensing up against him. She did everything she could to quell her sorrow, choking back her tears. Braeburn knew he couldn’t convince the stubborn mare to let her feelings out, and merely held her there, hoping that she would on her own.
“This ain’t right,” she choked. “Yer not a soldier, Brae, yer… yer a good pony, the best cousin Ah c-could ask for…”
The riflepony had no answer for that, for what she said struck a heavy chord in his soul. His heart plummeted into the pit of his stomach, his expression falling dramatically. She was right; he wasn’t a soldier meant to combat the forces that threatened his country. It wasn’t a task he was born to do, as his cutie mark constantly reminded him. However, it was something the world around him was forcing him to do. He lost his option to stay in the background while others fought it out the day he fired Thumper for the first time. It wasn’t anypony else’s fault that he had been thrown into this mess but his own, and he needed to dig himself out of it.
“Ya’ know…” Braeburn whispered, his voice soft and warm. “If we were in each other’s places, Ah reckon Ah’d feel exactly the same way as you do right now. Ah don’t think Ah’d take it any better. But fer now, this is what Ah have to do.”
Applejack said nothing, but shook a little in his forelegs as she strived to hold her emotions back.
“Hey, this ain’t gonna be my life, ya’ know,” he continued reassuringly. “Someday, this is all gonna be over, and you’ll find me and Pa workin’ on the farm again. You’ll see.”
Applejack sniffed, pulling away from her cousin. Still she did not look at him, but to the grass under her forehooves. “Ya’ know, it ain’t just me who’s worried, Brae. Big Mac is scared fer ya’ too. He won’t say it, obviously. Heck, even Rainbow Dash and Twilight have been worried.”
“Ah know, and Ah’m sorry.”
“There ain’t nothin’ Ah can say to change yer mind ‘bout this?”
“It wasn’t my decision to make, you know that,” Braeburn answered, offering her a warm smile. “But like Ah said, we’re all gonna come back once this is over. Maybe you can get yer friend… what was her name… Oh! Maybe you can get Pinkie Pie to throw a party fer the occasion. Ah reckon even my Pa would like that.”
Finally, the stallion spotted the ghost of a smile on his cousin’s face. “Yeah… yeah, that’d be swell.”
“One more thing,” said Braeburn. “That curfew ya’ mentioned earlier... make sure ya’ll stick to it.”
Applejack squinted an eye inquisitively, prompting her cousin to continue: “It ain’t no secret that Ah’m part o’ the Apple Family, and the same goes fer Sweet Apple Acres. Sure Shot wants me on his side, and it seems like he’s gonna start actively tryin’ fer it. Ah can’t risk what he might do, so Ah need ya’ll to be safe and obey everything that the police and Guard tell you to do. He might try and use you and the family against me, so just stay on the edges of yer hooves.”
“D’ya see why it’d be better if Ah went with ya’?” asked Applejack.
“Then who’d stick around here and keep Apple Bloom and Granny Smith safe?” Braeburn snorted. “Besides, in case we need ‘em, Ah’d rather have the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony close to each other.”
The orange mare sighed, knowingly beaten. However, she took no solace in that. “Fine.”
Braeburn smiled, standing to his hooves. “Alright then. Hey, let’s go see how Daring and Rainbow are doin’.”
Applejack nodded, following suit before walking beside him toward the other side of the orchards. For a moment there was silence, and Braeburn noticed his cousin staring unfocused on the ground as they walked. Her cowpony hat was tilted forward, a dark shadow veiling her half-lidded eyes. As expected, she was obviously still stuck on the previous subject without something to distract her. Braeburn thought for a moment, searching his brain for a new topic. When he found one, a wry grin formed on his face. “So, Ah found out somethin’ today.”
“Daring might leave ya’ fer Rainbow Dash?” Applejack shot back, her tone dry.
“Pff, no. Similar, but no.”
“Oh?”
“Ya’ know Azure?” asked Braeburn, a mischievous look on his face. Applejack spotted his expression, her eyes suspicious.
“Uh... yeah. Seems like a nice pony. Squirrelly lil’ fella, but nice.”
“Well, he’s pretty sweet on ya’,” Braeburn said, chuckling slightly.
“Ah would hope so. S’not like Ah wasn’t hospitable or nothin’,” Applejack replied, completely unaware.
Braeburn slapped a hoof to his forehead, groaning under his breath. “No, AJ, he fancies you.”
Applejack cocked an eyebrow at him, taking a few moments before understanding his meaning. Once it hit her, the orange mare stopped dead in her tracks as her cousin continued on, laughing aloud as he walked away from her. When she didn’t catch up with him, Braeburn stopped, looking back to the mare. She had a forehoof over her mouth, looking down to the ground with a bewildered look in her eye.
“Ya’ mean like... like the way you and Daring fancy each other?” she asked flatly in what seemed like confusion.
“Well, not exactly. Ah think he’s just got a little crush,” said Braeburn, doing everything he could to hold back another laugh. Applejack recoiled, her pupils shrinking dramatically. “Should Ah tell him to send flowers?”
“You tell him that and Ah’ll buck the both o’ ya’ in the teeth,” she retorted, shaking her head as she trotted past him.
“That’s what Ah thought you’d say,” said Braeburn, walking beside her once again. “Don’t worry, he’s leavin’ with us once Daring’s ship gets here.”
“Good,” the mare scoffed, although not without a small grin. “Don’t need none o’ that nonsense ‘round these parts anyway.”
“Is that how ya’ react to this kinda stuff? Wasn’t quite what Ah was expecting.”
“It is when my family’s in danger and Ah can’t do nothin’ about it. My brain ain’t exactly got room fer nothin’ else right now,” Applejack said under her breath, although just loud enough for her cousin to hear. “Darn good thing Apple Bloom’s off at her friend’s house fer the night. Wouldn’t wanna put her through all this too.”
Braeburn sighed, continuing on across the field without attempting another word of conversation.
They crossed the orchard in silence, Braeburn giving his cousin the occasional concerned glance. Guilt rose in his chest at the sight of her unfocused, expressionless face. His unwavering compassion screamed at him to call off the whole endeavor and just let Celestia and Luna take care of it. However, objectivity had been far more present in his mind lately. There wasn’t a way around ponies worrying about him, least of all Applejack. The stallion counted himself lucky to have family that cared so much for him, but that only made it more difficult to leave. For a moment, the riflepony considered ending the matter with one last word of reassurance, but the tense air between the two suggested that the conversation was over several minutes ago.
Braeburn looked up and ahead toward the complex aerial course above the barn. He almost immediately spotted a black and gray blur barreling through the series of cloud rings. The stallion’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief as he watched her quick and efficient progression. Daring Do was a lot of things, but she hadn’t exactly displayed any intermediate skill as a flyer in the time that Braeburn knew her. But in the short span of time that they had been practicing, it seemed as if the archaeologist had grown exponentially more talented in the skies. Before, her flying had been nothing more than average, but now Daring was clearing every cloud ring with speed and precision. Over to the right, Rainbow Dash was standing on a cloud, watching her student with an aura of pride that Braeburn could feel from the ground below.
As they approached the ground below the course, Braeburn gaped at his marefriend’s prowess. Applejack took notice, uttering a nearly silent chuckle. “Was she not that good before?”
“Not even close,” he replied, breathless. “Just what did Rainbow Dash do to get those kinda results?”
“There’s a reason she’s the head of Weather Patrol here in Ponyville,” Applejack answered proudly. “She’s darned good at findin’ what it takes to push a pony to better themselves.”
Braeburn listened to his cousin’s words, but made no effort to visibly acknowledge them as he watched Daring slip through the weaving course with ease before rocketing toward the final stretch. The pegasus blazed across the sky toward a small, confining ring far off from the rest. She threw her forehooves forward, her wings pounding as she accelerated. Braeburn felt goosebumps rise under his fur, adrenaline pumping through his veins for the mare. In the blink of an eye, she cleared the last ring, her trajectory marked with a translucent trail of grays and black. He mouthed a few words of astonishment as she flew back to the beginning, starting the course again. In his awe, Braeburn failed to contemplate what Applejack had said, but as he watched Daring fly through the rings a third time, he started to think about it.
The riflepony wondered what Rainbow could have done to drive the archaeologist to dig into herself to find such prowess in a field she was so inexperienced in. As much as she wanted to learn about flying from her idol, Daring wasn’t exactly in the position to entertain a hobby. She was a pony with an objective mindset; not one to play when she had a job to do. With that in mind, the stallion pondered as to why she was choosing to pass the time with such a comparatively meaningless task. But after a moment of thought, Braeburn remembered his conversation with the pegasus atop her airship.
Ahuitzotl was the one that took my parents away. He was the one that beat the hay out of me for two days and nights. He effectively changed my life for the worse since the day we crossed each other’s paths. Because of all that, I will be the one to end that monster’s life.
Her cold words still sent a chill down Braeburn’s spine, for they were spoken as if from the lips of a killer. She had the drive to better herself beforehoof, so perhaps Rainbow had said something to make her dwell on it. That morning, Daring Do had declared that she would be the one to take down Ahuitzotl. It wasn’t just a wanting to; it was a need to. Braeburn couldn’t even begin to understand what she had went through, but anypony could somewhat grasp her need for vengeance. He could imagine himself wanting the same thing if somepony had taken his father away from him. But at the end of the day, Ahuitzotl was still a fierce, powerful immortal. Braeburn regretfully recalled his encounter with the feline beast, as well as the fear that struck him when even Thumper’s piercing ammunition wasn’t enough to take him down. He may have incinerated the monster’s tail, but that didn’t stop a block of ice from forming in his stomach over the thought of his marefriend taking on Ahuitzotl singlehoofedly.
If there was anypony in Equestria that wanted the demi-god dead and buried the most, it was Daring Do. However, that didn’t give her much more of a fighting chance than anything else. Braeburn knew that she had made up her mind years ago, and simply advising her against the idea would be comparable to bashing his head against a brick wall. But at the same time, he couldn’t let the pony he cared for the most run headlong toward virtual suicide.
“Braeburn!”
“Gah!” the stallion yelped in surprise, jumping off to one side in fright. He looked to his right to find Applejack cocking an eyebrow at him, her face free of emotion. At any other time, Braeburn imagined that she would have found his moment of fright to be hilarious. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those times.
“Ya’ looked lost in thought. Ah was gonna ask if ya’ heard that noise.”
“Noise?” he asked, coming out of his stupor.
As he looked up to find Daring, he noticed that her and Rainbow Dash were looking off to his right. He traced their gazes, sighing with relief once he spotted Daring’s cutie mark painted on the balloon of an airship. Now that he knew of its source, the stallion’s ears pricked up at the sound of turbines running off in the distance. It was coming in fast from the east, descending toward Sweet Apple Acres.
“Finally!” Daring exclaimed from above, leaping off the cloud to plummet toward the ground. Braeburn spotted Rainbow Dash uttering a short sigh, a faint look of disappointment on her face as she followed the other pegasus. Once they landed aside Braeburn and Applejack, the stallion looked behind himself to find Azure Spark and Big Macintosh trotting over from the barn, assuming that they had heard the turbines from inside. Daring Do practically danced between her hooves, her feathers fluttering with impatience. “Took them long enough.”
“Ah just hope we can get to Canterlot in time,” Braeburn thought aloud, turning to everypony else as the airship approached.
“Yeah, we’ll need to get on and go immediately,” Daring murmured, looking back to Rainbow Dash, her lips curling with a sad smile. “I’m sorry we have to leave like this, but I’m glad that we could spend some time together.”
“Yeah, me too,” Rainbow replied, shaking the crestfallen expression from her face, replacing it with a smug grin. She held up her hoof, silently offering a bump. Daring looked it over for a moment, snickering to herself as she reared up to wrap her forelegs around the cyan mare’s neck. Rainbow Dash recoiled, stunned at first. She then lifted a foreleg, returning the embrace. “Hehe. Maybe we can pick up where we left off once you get back. You know, again.”
“Of course. Thanks again for everything,” Daring replied before letting her friend go.
Distracted by their conversation, Braeburn took a moment before looking back to his own family. Both of his cousins were in the middle of bidding their own goodbyes with Azure Spark. The riflepony watched them, dreading the last words they would exchange before departing to Canterlot. His eyes were fixed on Applejack, who seemed to be forcing out her smile and kind words. Her face was strained, her left forehoof grinding into the grass as if to liquify it. A tight knot formed in Braeburn’s stomach, his throat swelling. It didn’t seem as if this was going to be a pleasant goodbye.
Big Macintosh approached Braeburn first, offering his usual wordlessness. He nodded, his eyes saying everything that he needed to. They were worried, but accepting. The beige stallion exhaled, nodding in return before bumping hooves with his cousin. The red earth pony walked off behind Braeburn with everypony else, who seemed to be watching from the sidelines as Applejack walked up to her cousin, her eyes still on the ground.
Braeburn covertly bit down on his lower lip, unaware of what to say. All he could do was stare at the top of her cowpony hat with concern, sympathizing with her hidden emotions. As the seconds of silence trailed on, the riflepony opened his mouth to speak, only able to utter an incoherent noise before the orange mare interrupted him.
“You come back...” she muttered, sounding as if the words were barely making it past her gritted teeth. Suddenly, Applejack’s head shot up, her emerald eyes alight with fire. Her brow was taut in the form of a sharp V, her eyes brimming with hot tears. Her entire form was quivering, her lips pursed to keep from quivering. Braeburn cringed, his muscles threatening to make him take a step back. “Braeburn... You come back when th-this is all over...”
“Applejack...” whispered Rainbow Dash off to the side, her voice full of sudden worry.
The farmer ignored her, along with the rest of the eyes on her. She kept her focus on her cousin, making sure that every last word buried itself into his brain. She shoved a forehoof into the lapel of his duster, holding it there with a heavy amount of pressure. “Ah swear to Celestia, you and Uncle B better live through this foolhardy plan o’ yers. Ah ain’t gonna lose any of you to that maniac, ya’ hear?! Ah won’t ever fergive you if ya’ don’t come back, so you promise me right now that ya’ will!”
“Appleja-”
“You promise me right now!” Applejack nearly screamed, her voice cracking under the pressure. Braeburn sighed, hating what the world was forcing him to do right now. He kept his eyes on hers, knowing full and well that this wasn’t something he could guarantee. For all he knew, they could die that night. But then again, they didn’t have that choice. Dying wasn’t an option, especially when they could have been the only ones to stop Sure Shot before he took a city’s worth of lives.
Braeburn smiled, slowly lifting a forehoof to drape it over hers. Applejack winced, her glazed eyes warming ever so slightly. “Y’ain’t gotta worry ‘bout us. We know what we’re doin’. If yer gonna worry, worry ‘bout Sure Shot. Ah promise that yer gonna see all of us again, the second we take care o’ business.”
As soon as the stallion finished, Applejack pulled him into another hug with a single foreleg. Braeburn exhaled, his muscles loosening with relief. He nuzzled the mare’s cheek, slowly pulling away. The farmer sniffed, wiping her eyes with her foreleg. “Daring...”
“Yeah, AJ?” Daring answered, her voice soft and understanding. She came to Braeburn’s side, waiting for the mare to continue.
“You look after my cousin fer me,” she choked, removing her reddened eyes from her leg to look at the pegasus. “He ain’t the most careful o’ ponies, and Ah know that you got yer head on straight, at least. Just make sure... make sure ya’ll get through this.”
Daring smiled. “I seem to remember staying true to that same promise a long time ago. I kept my word last time, AJ, so you can bet on me doing it again.”
A heavy gust of wind blew over the orchard, throwing their manes off to one side as the thundering sound of roaring engines echoed through the apple trees around them. Braeburn turned to find the airship nearing the ground in a clearing only about ten meters behind them, the landing gear deploying underneath the cabin. The craft turned its rear toward them, the boarding ramp opening to allow a head of vibrant crimson and pink to poke through.
“Day Break! Tell Arty not to land! Pull the landing gear back up!” Daring yelled over the roar of the engines.
“What? Doesn’t Bullet get to see his fam-”
“There’s a killer heading for the capital of the country and you wanna exchange pleasantries right now?!” the dark mare yelled back, turning her head toward Big Macintosh and Applejack, a bashful grin on her face. “Sorry, though. We’ll send your uncle your best wishes.”
“We understand,” nodded the orange mare, her brother mirroring her. “Now get on outta here before Ah change my mind about all o’ this.”
Braeburn and Daring grinned, turning around to head for the ship when the stallion remembered something. He stopped in his tracks, lifting a hoof to check his back. To his annoyance, he only found his two rifles. “Darn it, our bags are in the house still! Hold on... where’d Azure go?”
Daring groaned, stopping as well to join Braeburn in looking around the orchard in search of the cyan unicorn. To their confusion, he was nowhere to be found. As he thought about it, Braeburn realized that he hadn’t noticed Azure’s presence during his goodbye with his cousins. But before anypony could say a word, a flash of pale blue light erupted next to the riflepony, revealing Azure with two sets of saddlebags on his back. “Forgetting something?”
“I knew there was a reason to have you around!” Daring exclaimed happily, flying over to retrieve her bags. Braeburn took his as well before the three of them turned back toward the hovering airship, waving their goodbyes to Rainbow Dash, Big Macintosh and Applejack.
“Ya’ll come back now, y’hear?”
“Give Ahuitzotl a good punch for me!”
“We’ll do that! Goodbye!” Braeburn and Daring called back, hurrying toward the boarding ramp that was barely an inch from the grass. The three of them leaped into the cabin, welcomed by Day Break.
The yellow pegasus looked around Daring, her eyes bulging out of their sockets. “Hold on! Is that Rain-”
“Yeah, I’ll get you a signed poster now get in the ship already!” Daring scolded, although with a slight air of facetiousness. She pushed Day Break through the bay door, followed by Azure and Braeburn.
“So you know Rainbow Dash? Why haven’t I ever heard about this?!” the yellow mare demanded as she was shoved into the cabin.
“Sorry, but if you remember we were a little preoccupied before Mesoequestria,” Daring replied flatly.
“You were a little preoccupied.”
“Well then you might wanna know that I just got through a personal flight lesson with her,” Daring sneered, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
Day Break’s jaw dropped as they piled into the main room. Braeburn smirked, walking around the two pegasi to find Bullet Tyme laying down in his usual seat with his hat on his face and all four of his legs crossed. He gave his father a tap on the leg, prodding him awake. Meanwhile, Azure set Braeburn and Daring’s bags on the floor before sitting on the other side of the coffee table.
It seemed as if Day Break had nothing more to reply with other than a jealous, open-mouthed expression. Daring chuckled, trotting over to the cockpit door and throwing it open. Artemis was revealed in his captain’s chair on the other side, pulling up a lever as the cabin shook and rose.
“To Canterlot, our gracious captain!” said Daring, a dramatic flair in her voice. “And make it snappy!”
“Canterlot?” Artemis repeated with a sidelong quirk of his brow, confused. “Are we gonna recruit the Princess, too? Need I remind you that we’re at capacity as it is?”
“Nope, we’re gonna save her city,” answered the archaeologist. Day Break, Bullet Tyme and Artemis all turned their heads to Daring. She rolled her eyes in response, heaving a small sigh. “Right, I gotta explain all this again.”
Wasting no time, Daring hastily ran over the more important details of her findings in Cunning’s journal, as well as the conclusion they had come to about Sure Shot’s next destination. Azure assisted her in the explanation, answering some of the questions that Artemis and Day Break asked. Braeburn, meanwhile, found himself tuning out the conversation as he dropped his weapons, duster and hat in a pile on the floor, flopping onto Daring’s cot on his back. He tucked his forehooves behind his head, staring at the wooden ceiling. The stallion let out a long breath, mulling over the events of the day. It had been nice to see his family once again, even under such odd circumstances. However, he couldn’t shake the thought of Applejack’s tearful eyes. He hated seeing such a strong mare break down like that, especially when it was his fault. Even if it was Sure Shot forcing him to put his life in danger, Braeburn couldn’t help but take the blame for his family’s worry. Combined with everything else, he couldn’t wait to end this war.
On the edge of his unfocused hearing, Braeburn heard Daring’s explanation of the day coming to an end. He looked downward, fixing his gaze on the archaeologist. She was standing next to the table, finishing the conversation with half-lidded eyes and a tired expression. The mare looked exhausted, more so underneath than on the surface. All four of her legs were bent slightly at the knees, her wings drooping in their furled position. Her white pith hat was tilted haphazardly to one side, her monochromatic bangs messier than usual. Daring looked as if she needed this to end just as much as he did, but Braeburn couldn’t imagine her expressing it. He smiled at that, laying his head back atop his hooves.
“Alright boy, Ah’ll be the one to bring this up,” came Bullet Tyme’s haggard voice. Braeburn pushed himself into a sitting position. As he expected, the middle-aged stallion was looking at him, wearing an unreadable expression.
“What’re ya’ talkin’ about, Pa?” Braeburn asked cluelessly, holding his upper body up with his forelegs locked behind his back.
“Well in case ya’ weren’t payin’ attention, yer marefriend just got through tellin’ us what ya’ll are plannin’ on doin’,” Bullet started, sitting up against the wall with his hindhooves crossed. He removed his black Stetson and set it on the table next to him, revealing the rest of his gray mane. “So ya’ wanna stop Sure Shot, right? ‘Course ya’ do, and Ah have no doubts that we can do it. But Ah’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout it on the way here... As much as Ah hate the idea o’ lettin’ my only offspring take on a riflepony that Ah trained myself, Ah can’t tell ya’ what to do. Yer gonna end up in a shootout with that pony, and there ain’t a thing in the world anypony can do to stop it. So if that’s gonna happen, ya’ might as well go in prepared.”
Braeburn squinted his eyes, cocking a brow. “Pa, Ah got a gun that shoots fire. Short o’ givin’ me a line o’ cannons, Ah think Ah’m pretty well-equipped.”
“Yeah, and he’s got five years on ya’, and a lot more than that in combat experience,” Bullet countered, sliding off the couch and onto his hooves. He paced over to the cot, keeping his gaze on his son. “If ya’ wind up havin’ to fight him singlehoofedly, ya’ might not live to tell the tale.”
The beige stallion scowled, sitting up properly on his haunches. “Hey now, just what’re ya’ sayin’ here?”
“Ah’m sayin’ that Sure Shot still outranks the hay outta you,” his father answered bluntly. “And maybe ya’ don’t think so, ‘cause fer some reason ya’ never asked me to help ya’ level the playin’ field.”
Braeburn sighed inwardly, completely unaware of his father’s meaning. “Ya’ gettin’ anywhere with this, Pa?”
Bullet Tyme scoffed. “Yeah, Ah am. Ah’m thinkin’ it’s about time Ah taught you bullet deflection.”
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Something tells me they're going to run out of ammo in the final battle.
Noice. We saw Daring level up this chapter, in the next chapter or two we'll see Braeburn level up.
WAT?!
brea brea has more speed so he can deflect one round and fire another before sure shot is able to
Finally!
Er, the bullet deflection, that is...
It's nice to see another chapter, too.
Ooooooooooooh snap! Shit's going down!
YES! Breaburn is gonna increase his accuracy stats! lvl up!
Random Poem Time:
Preparations of war.
The soldier that is not.
The war that is within.
The war that will not be forgot.
Anyways, I really enjoyed the way you handled sad AJ. Of course you've always done a wonderful job with your characterizations, I just really enjoyed this chapter specifically because of it. Yeah the whole thing about Daring and RD was nice, but the emotional parts were what really drew me in this chapter. Oh, and I can't wait to some future Father-Son mentoring.
Awesome! Braeburn's about to level up.
Bullet Tyme scoffed. “Yeah, Ah am. Ah’m thinkin’ it’s about time Ah taught you bullet deflection.”
My reaction:
Oh Damn!!!
The fight does not end until one side is completely dead!
Changing encounters
Twisting fate
An unchangeable world
There is only one ultimate rule in war......survive.
Yes, finally an update! I love this story!
Even when nothing really happens, there's still so much emotional stuff going on. I hope I don't have to wait as long for the next chapter. Keep up the good work. 
I ain't even got much to say here. The pacing is perfect, the characters are likable and deep, and it's just so easy to feel everypony's not-quite-hidden tension underneath everything, and I'm just waiting to see it all boil over. Good God, I love this story. I've already got the first one downloaded for posterity on my phone, and I'm just waiting to see that 'complete' tag on this one so I can do the same to it.
2354510 First of all: What's that from?
Second: This story... this story right here...
I love this story so much. I'm just a bit concerned about the "tragedy" tag.
I want this story to have a happy ending, dammit!
AJ getting emotional towards the end of the chapter really hit me hard, that was well written.
I really loved the description of Dash running her cloud course, extra badass Dash is best Dash.
2358079
It's from this, towards the end:
This is gonna be like the Matrix...
Yes, bullet deflection. This is goooooood. Still, though, I doubt that we've seen all that Sure Shot's capable of. If he really is a genius, he wouldn't ever reveal the true range of his abilities unless it was absolutely necessary.
----------
"guilty-looking"
No comma.
Right now, that's actually a statement. You could change it to a question easily, but she's currently demanding to know something.
Comma.
Comma.
I'm pretty sure that should go in single quotes.
"poster. Now, get..."
Apple Acres is Short staffed, Rainbow Dash needs to cover for two of her employees, Twilight can't pull herself away from her studies and Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie are nowhere to be seen. Why do I get the feeling that this is all part of a plan by Sure Shot to keep the elements of Harmony out of things. I wouldn't put it past him to have arranged this curfew thing, we know he has friends in high places, and Celestia probably gets so frazzled at times that she needs to delegate things.
Bullet Thyme is a former gunpony who can do spectacular feats with his guns, who retired to be a farmer, and whose past is now coming back to bedevil him and his family. Oh, and his son will be able to replicate his feats with firearms.
images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110105170327/reddeadredemption/images/thumb/6/66/Rdr_john_marston.jpg/300px-Rdr_john_marston.jpg
"That's my pony."
Also, I think Daring may have some sort of feat that increases her XP gain. That was incredible progress.
But he is gonna go out like a badass.
Calling it now. Azure is toast.
Its nice to see a chapter were its nothing but character interactions, mostly harmless (as in, not murder, torture, etc undertones), and it does help set up what comes next, which I'm guessing it will be heavy on action.
I do wonder though, are we reaching the climax? or this is nothing but the end of the beginning? I guess next chapter (or chapters) will make that clear for me.
Why didn't I come across this earlier
Seriously though, great story!
Now I just have to wait for the next chapter
This whole chapter I was thinking:
"Why don't they steal it first?"
OK, I'm really enjoying the story, but I have to point something out. Isn't dragon's breath all flash and no substance? I mean, their cool rounds, but I don't think they have many actual applications, they aren't flame throwers.
2398950 You are indeed correct. In fact, Dragon's Breath rounds can't even be used in automatic or semi-automatic shotguns because they do not produce enough recoil to cycle the action. One thing I'll point out myself is that this reality also exists within the story. Can't say more than that for now.
2398993
So I'm guessing we're going to see this come up later in the story. Cool, I'm looking forward to that. I think it's safe to assume it's going to come up an inopportune time for Braeburn.
2387315
Eeyup
May I ask: what is Braeburn's one and only rule?
2352305 Bayonet fight!!
I think it's funny that FimFiction's bugging me about my unread chapters from this story every time I get on, but I don't want to read them because it's not Complete yet. I started reading "just the first chapter" and was barely able to stop halfway through before I hit the brick wall of "not published yet". I then resigned myself to waiting until you finished it before I resumed.
At first, I was annoyed because you weren't putting up chapters more quickly. I mean, come on! All you have to do is write out the story you already have in your head, right? I want to read it now! It's not that hard.....
Or is it?
The past two years, I've participated in NaNoWriMo, struggling to write a 50,000 word monstrosity from nothing with only an idea, thirty days, and a lifeline of hope to cling to. Those tumultuous months taught me lessons that I still find myself realizing today. It was often incredibly hard to get the story out, and the two incomplete rough drafts I still have stashed away haven't even been read by anyone, to say nothing of being commented on each chapter. Could I even take this kind of criticism; good, bad or otherwise? I honestly don't know, and that puts a whole different perspective on things.
So, you know what? It's okay. You haven't added to the story any since X weeks ago? Totally cool. You haven't touched the story in weeks because something else in your life has come up, but you fully intend to come back to it when you can? Fine by me. I don't want the sampler bits that are often put out to satisfy the hungry readers, even though the author's desperately wishing they could just have some more time to work on the main course. To me, that just kinda spoils the whole meal.
DiveBomb, I want you to take your time with the remaining X chapters. Slow cook them as long as you need to. Me, I'm just going to sit down here and nibble on some other stories for a while, patiently waiting until you're good and ready. Whenever this story's done to your liking, I'll hop on over and lose a few hours to it, savoring each remaining chapter. Forget the critics bemoaning and disparaging a word choice, forget the clamor of hungry readers banging against the glass for another morsel. They can wait a little bit longer.
After all, you're the master chef of the night. Cook us something you'd enjoy, and I guarantee we'll love it too.
Obtthat's gunna be one hell of a gunfight
MORE
IT TOOK ME 7 hours to read these and Treasure of the West
LET'S CATCH UP ON SOME COMMENTS.
2473965 How did I miss this one?
It's always nice to see that rare moment when people understand how and why a chapter can take so long, and I appreciate that. One word of warning though: If you're waiting for the story to be completed before you start to read it, you're gonna be waiting for a while. In all honesty, the Riflepony Series should have been a trilogy due to its overall length, but to cut down on wait time, the contents of what would have been a third story was just added to COTW's storyline. It's just simpler.
Oh and also, I blew up a cake once. Zero culinary expertise over here.
2510936 Look up the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting. It's essentially what Braeburn does. As a CAS shooter myself, I can say that it's not that hard for an experienced shooter.
2545063 CALM DOWN BRO IT'S NOT THAT GOOD
Buck yeah its that good. I haven't finished of stories like that since I read through
Cerulean1313's The Risks of Braving a Storm and Under the Starry Sky
hhhhhhhhnnnnnnnmmmmmoooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr
2545147
I suppose it depends on the range. Standard biathlon targets are less than 5 inches in diameter at a distence of 50 meters. Plus, biathletes have the extra burden of cardio and breath control.
I'd like to see a cowboy pull that off after doing 5 minutes of jumpingjacks in cold low-oxygen air.