Five - A Dark Tomorrow
“Keep going.”
“What? Sir, I can’t do that!”
“Well that’s too bad, because you have to.”
“I-I don’t have any magic left!” stammered a light blue unicorn. Sweat matted his disheveled teal mane to his forehead, his yellow eyes dark with fatigue. Even under the pale moonlight, Sparks’ exhaustion was all too visible. His words were accompanied with heavy panting, his entire form swaying back and forth. The unicorn felt his eyelids grow heavy, his muddled mind working on minimal capacity. He winced as a small spark of light erupted from his horn, fizzling into nothingness before it could even come close to the ground. However, his anguish didn’t seem to deter the dark purple earth pony approaching him.
Sure Shot walked over to the unicorn as slowly as possible, his previous haste gone from his narrowing eyes. He stopped before the shorter pony, tilting his head slightly as he brushed his careless black mane from his brow. Before placing his hoof back to the ground, he dusted the dirt from his black vest, chuckling softly. His laugh was enough to instill an almost visible shiver from Sparks, the earth pony’s voice full of menace. Sure Shot watched with disinterested eyes as the other stallion’s horn discharged another pinpoint of azure light, fizzling down to the train tracks underhoof.
“It seems you still have plenty more,” he said plainly, his lips tilting into a small smirk. He turned his head back, lifting a hoof to point to his object of focus. Protruding from the tree line miles away was a modest skyline, a few of the buildings brightly illuminated. "Baltimare is right there, less than ten miles away. Teleportation is your specialty, is it not?"
"Nopony can keep doing this," Sparks retorted. He gestured to the three other ponies around them. "Appleloosa to Dodge, then to the Eastern Rail Line, and now you want me to take us to Baltimare?!"
"You knew the plan."
"But you didn't say anything about getting to Horseshoe Bay from Appleloosa in a single night!" Sparks shot back, desperation in his voice. His sentence was followed with a hacking cough, his chest heaving. None of the earth ponies around him seemed to even notice his plight, least of all their leader.
Sure Shot turned his unwavering gaze back to the unicorn, exhaling calmly through his nostrils. "Things have changed. You were there when Coltwell told us of the archaeologist's destination after our meeting in Appleloosa. Did you not get the memo?"
Sparks' face contorted with an angered confusion. "What does some mare have to do with any of this?"
"Now, now," the purple stallion started, his tones almost soothing. "Don't think that you don't know of her significance. You know what that pony found; the book we're looking for."
"Wait, this is about some old journal?" Sparks questioned, bewildered. "What-"
"What did you think I was doing in Dodge Junction before I met you all in Appleloosa?" Sure Shot asked, his smirk slowly disappearing. "The clues we have found all point to Cunning the Colt, and he depicted his entire life in a book, one that Daring Do has a copy of. I told you before; that book was nowhere in her home, meaning that she must be keeping it on her or somewhere else. Meaning that we have to head her off and take it. Are you getting it now?"
A few chuckles were shared between Gun Powder and an earth mare, whose name hadn't been known to Sparks as of yet. The unicorn paid them no further attention, nor the other pegasus stallion hidden behind Gun Powder. Sure Shot inched his head forward, his expression inquisitive.
"Alright, I understand," the unicorn answered, doing his best to keep his fatigue from becoming anger. "But that doesn't change the fact that there isn't a way in Equestria for me to teleport us all the way to Baltimare tonight. I'm sorry sir, but-"
"When I took you off the street, before I went to jail..." Sure Shot interjected, his voice growing more and more dangerous with every word. The purple stallion's demeanor shifted, his stance hostile. Sparks felt himself gulp involuntarily, his weary mind starting to panic. "...I warned you that this job required the best from you. I told you that there wasn't such a thing as 'giving up,' and that there was only progress. I told you that when we succeed, your efforts would be rewarded. However, without the effort, you are useless to me. Now I will tell you once more: take us to Baltimare, or I will show you just how disposable quitters are to me."
Sparks' immediate reaction to anger was retorting with either sarcasm or even more anger. His dwindling reserves of magic reflexively darted to his horn, as if to defend himself against the other stallion's threat. But he knew what could happen; what would happen if he even tried. Sparks wouldn't be the first unicorn that Sure Shot would have taken down. He had witnessed the riflepony do amazing yet terrifying things in the short time that they had been around each other, and he wasn't about to be on the business end of his weapon. Despite his frustration and exhaustion, he needed to keep going. If he didn't, he wouldn't gain the money and freedom he was promised.
The blue unicorn exhaled, starting to gather his composure. "This could kill me, sir."
Sure Shot's malevolent grin returned, sending a chill down Sparks' spine. "I assure you that it won't. From here to Baltimare, that's it. No more questions; just actions."
Sparks grimaced as the rest of their group gathered around him, forming a close circle. Sure Shot never took his gaze away from him, furthering the unicorn's stress. On top of his dwindling consciousness, he couldn't take his mind off the many eyes staring expectantly at him. But the nagging thought of the riflepony taking his life drove his mind forward, rousing his limited magic to his horn. His ears folded back, blocking out the murmurs of the ponies around him. He clamped his eyes shut in concentration, surrounding them with a circle of energy. The unicorn grunted as a spark of pain shot through his head, splitting his skull in agony as he began the spell.
An azure light surrounded them as Sparks focused on the city of Baltimare; a place he had only been once before. He grunted in pain once more as the spell took its toll on him. With a flash of pale blue light, they were gone from the railroad tracks, reappearing elsewhere. The unicorn couldn't open his eyes to confirm the success of his spell. He merely fell forward, landing ungracefully on something cold and hard as concrete. He felt himself flicker in and out of consciousness, his brain alight with an oncoming migraine. He heard muffled voices above him, as if he was hearing them from the other side of a closed door. It felt like an eternity before their words became audible and coherent, his ears daring to lift from the sides of his head.
"Come on, unicorn," said a low, gruff voice. Sparks felt the sensation of being lifted from the ground, being placed on a veritable mattress of solid muscle. The unicorn allowed his limbs to go limp, depending on the stallion to carry him where they needed to go. Judging by the hushed voices around him, the blue stallion's spell had succeeded, although he wasn't sure just where in Baltimare he had brought them. But no sooner than when he relaxed atop Gun Powder's back was he prodded roughly on the forehead. Sparks opened his eyes wearily, startled to find himself still alive, let alone awake.
Sure Shot's dark purple face came into his blurry vision, his eyes gleaming in what he guessed to be a streetlight. "Look at that, Sparky: we got here in one piece," he smirked before patting him on the head like a dog. "Good on ya' buddy. You can just lay down and relax for now. We'll need you again in about twenty minutes."
Sparks grimaced, groaning quietly as his forelegs and head draped over Gun Powder's back. Unable to say anything more, the unicorn let his head fall, giving in to his fatigue.
Hooves galloped behind the riflepony, advancing toward him along with the sound of worried voices. Braeburn wheezed with every breath, his chest heaving in pain. His forelegs still shook with adrenaline, blood coursing violently through his veins. The earth pony barely acknowledged the two pegasi approaching him, his eyes staring unfocused into the darkness. A hoof turned his face around by the cheek, forcing him to look into the large amber eyes of a mare.
"Braeburn, are you alright?" asked Autumn Breeze, her expression dreadful. Her husband came into Braeburn's vision, his face mirroring hers. The riflepony shook his head, unaware of why his focus had faltered to such a degree. "We heard gunfire and then nothing, so we were worried."
"What happened, Braeburn?" Vapor asked impatiently, poking his muzzle into the earth pony's face. "Who was that?"
"Don't worry 'bout that," he replied quickly, taking a look behind him. The train had been traveling at full speed for the entire altercation. "Somepony needs to go back and find the stallion that got pulled outta the window!"
"The security guards know already," Vapor said, "they sent a pegasus to fly back and make sure he's okay."
Braeburn grit his teeth once more before allowing himself a sigh of relief, the adrenaline finally starting to die out. But in its absence, his chest was free to throb. He could still feel the pegasus' hooves, which heavily bruised the skin underneath his coat. He placed a subconscious hoof to his chest, attracting unwanted attention from Aerial's parents.
"Oh no, you're hurt," Autumn whispered, barely audible over the wind. She cast a wing over him as her husband guided Braeburn toward the front of the caboose. "Come on now, let's get you back inside."
The earth pony grimaced as he felt a sting of pain in his pectoral muscles, preventing him to walk at a brisk pace. With a nod of agreement, he allowed himself to be guided off the roof of the train car. Despite his smaller frame, Vapor Trail was able to fly him down to the lower platforms, carrying him by the shoulders. Braeburn closed his eyes during the descent, his mind dull with fatigue. He felt his hooves land on the end platform of the ahead of the caboose, his ears only catching the sound of cogs spinning and air blowing by. This wasn’t right. Something was going on beyond his understanding.
However, he didn’t have the time to think about it before his attention was caught by the pegasus that had carried him down to the platform. Vapor prodded him on the shoulder, forcing him to open his eyes. Braeburn complied, finding himself being wrapped into a hug by the two pegasi. The riflepony recoiled in response, unaware of what instilled such an action in the ponies that barely knew him. In his fatigue, the earth pony only chuckled humbly, unable to return the embrace. Vapor let him go only a second before his wife did.
“Thank you so much, Braeburn,” said Autumn, sharing the same appreciative smile as her husband.
“Yeah, if it weren’t for you, this night could have turned out a lot worse,” Vapor agreed. But before he could continue, Braeburn put up a hoof to stop him.
“Ah appreciate yer kind words, Ah really do,” he started, his breath slow and ragged. “But that stallion wasn’t after the train; he was after-”
“Braeburn, why don’t you tell us in our booth inside? It’s kind of chilly out tonight,” Vapor interrupted, although not without a smile. Braeburn exhaled through his nose, nodding in agreement as the other stallion slid the door of the car open.
Unlike before, the previously half-empty train car was now filled with curious and fearful ponies, their heads snapping over to the trio entering the threshold. Most were passengers, including some that were evidently from other cars. Others were employees of the line, all wearing the blue vests and caps. Aerial Ace popped out from her family’s booth, relief in her wide eyes at the sight of them. She fluttered her tiny wings, flying over the crowd with surprising speed. The filly landed in front of her parents, receiving a quick hoof through her mane from her father.
Aerial turned to Braeburn, her expression bright. “Did you do it? Did you get that bad pony out there?”
The earth stallion smiled, although halfheartedly. “Yeah, he won’t be coming ‘round here no more.”
“Now just what in the hay was all that about?” came a low, angry voice. Wading through the crowd was an older unicorn mare, possibly Bullet Tyme’s age. She had a coat of dull pink, complemented by her maroon conductor’s jacket. Her mane and tail were short and blonde, combed backward to give her an intimidating look. Her small olive eyes were glaring directly at Braeburn, whom recoiled slightly at her hostile expression. The train car went silent as the middle-aged unicorn approached the riflepony, looking him over with evident judgment. Braeburn only smiled politely, nervous under her gaze despite the drastic height difference.
“What kind of trouble have you caused on my train, boy?” the conductor almost yelled at him, craning her neck to glare up at him.
“Whoa, Ma’am! Ah didn’t cause no trouble here!” Braeburn replied reflexively.
“That’s right!” Vapor chimed in, instilling nods from the other passengers around them. “This stallion just saved this entire train from some bandit! If he wasn’t here, who knows what could have happened.”
Braeburn wished that his Stetson wasn’t across a small sea of ponies, for all he wanted to do was hide his eyes from sight. He felt a sheepish grin form on his face as the ponies around gave him an appreciative smile at Vapor’s words. The conductor, however, was not so easily turned. She never took her suspicious glare away from the riflepony, her beady eyes looking right into his.
“Ma’am,” came a new voice, belonging to an approaching stallion. “He has his permit. Graves took a look before he was...well, dragged out the window. Sapphire went after him. Now I didn't see just what happened up on the roof, but I see this earth pony and not that pegasus anymore. With all due respect, put two and two together, Ma’am.”
“Is that so?” she said in a low voice. “Well, I’ll make sure to have my staff keep an eye on you."
With a huff of disapproval, the conductor turned on a hoof, pacing back toward the front of the train as the crowd filed well away from her path. Only one of the members of the train staff followed her, leaving the stallion that defended Braeburn to oversee the car. When the hot-tempered mare closed the door behind herself, the small crowd stomped their hooves, as well as voiced their approval of the riflepony's deed with sparse cheers. Braeburn allowed himself a small, proud smile at their appreciation, but ultimately held up a shaking hoof to quell their scattered applause.
"Now, now, Ah thank ya'll fer yer gratitude and whatnot, but Ah think Ah need some rest," he said with a smile, thankful to see them immediately obey. The ponies that had arrived from the other train cars exited through the doors, while the rest settled themselves back into their booths. As Braeburn and the trio of pegasi returned to their seats, he spotted a few curious passengers covertly turn their heads back, trying to get a final look at the stallion. The earth pony ignored their momentary gazes, and merely settled down in his previous seat, although painfully. His chest did take some heavy bruising, but he knew that they would heal within the week. He just hoped that it wouldn't slow him down in the future.
"What happened, Braeburn?" Aerial Ace chirped, standing on her seat next to her father in excitement. "Are you okay? Is that bad pony really gone? Oh! Did you...kill him?"
"Aerial!" her mother hissed in disapproval.
"What?" the filly asked, purely confused. "I'm just asking."
"That's not something for you to ask," Autumn spoke firmly, although not without her motherly tones. "And I'm sure Braeburn needs some sleep, as do we all."
"Aw, but Mom, I can't sleep now!" she argued, despite her blue eyes bearing dark circles underneath them. When her parents hesitated finding an answer, Braeburn leaned forward toward the filly, catching her gaze.
"Now Aerial, ya'll have a long trip ahead o' ya'," he said with a smile. "And Ah'm not gonna be around once ya' head toward Los Pegasus. If somethin' happens, don't ya' wanna be able to defend yer parents with that gift o' yers?"
"Of course!"
"Well ya' won't be able to do that with no sleep, will ya'?" Braeburn smirked.
"Alright..." Aerial sighed, knowingly beaten.
It wasn't long before the filly, as well as most of the passengers, were slumbering quietly in the booths of the train car. A few strangers bid Braeburn good night, thanking him once more for his deeds before falling asleep. As the hours drew by, the earth pony watched as the lucky passengers around him were able to almost instantly fall into a deep sleep. Braeburn snorted quietly, lying down in his seat with his chin rested on his foreleg, the majority of his body covered by his warm duster. His eyes felt heavy, half-lidded and unfocused. He hadn't rested in an unknown amount of time, the events of the day preventing such a privilege. Even when talking to the family of pegasi in the booth around him, his mind wouldn't stop racing.
The pegasus stallion found Braeburn with a goal: to find a book. He spoke as if the earth pony knew what he was talking about, as if this book held some sort of deep meaning. But even hours after the altercation, he knew not of the bandit's meaning. Braeburn wasn't much of a reader, aside from his old obsession with the Daring Do series. So why would the bandit think he had some sort of tome of any significance? As he could recall, his bookshelf only bore two novels, both telling the tale of the monochromatic archaeologist, along with a few folders holding his financial records and other miscellaneous papers. Other than that, Braeburn only had his personal journal, as well as a copy of...
Braeburn shot up to a sitting position, his pupils shrinking to mere pinpricks in realization. He immediately dove his hoof into the inner pocket of his duster, pulling out the folded letter from Gunmetal Grey. He scanned the first paragraph for a moment, his eyes fixating on a single sentence:
I didn't know what was going on until I saw him barge out of an apartment building on the edge of town.
The earth pony winced, remembering only one apartment building on the edge of Dodge Junction's borders. Daring's name had been made public over a year ago, along with the information of her copy of Cunning the Colt's diary. His copy, however, wasn't something that needed to be mentioned. Evidently Sure Shot was looking for it, and getting it from Daring would be easier than the museum in Canterlot. But what would he want with the diary? As far as Braeburn knew, it was just a written record of Cunning's life, and nothing more. Was there something in those pages that would help Sure Shot's unknown cause? But none of that explained why that pegasus was sent to retrieve it from Braeburn. Nopony knew of his copy of the diary, except for maybe Daring, Gunmetal Grey, his father and Little Strongheart. Perhaps Sure Shot thought that Braeburn knew of the archaeologist's copy and maybe even its whereabouts.
Braeburn put the pieces he had together, his brow furrowed in thought. If he sent a pony to track him, then that meant they couldn't find Daring nor her copy of the diary. So why hadn't they just stolen the real one from the museum? Fueling his curiosity, the stallion stood up and trotted quietly up the aisle, finding a map of the Equestrian railroads pinned on the wall next to the front door of the car. Using the moonlight from the window on the left, Braeburn found the dot marked 'Canterlot.' Even with the lack of scaled distances, he knew the capital to be much farther than his location from Dodge Junction. Not to mention the two towns and a mountain to climb in between. Even for a pegasus, Canterlot would be an extensive journey without the use of a train.
So that meant that Sure Shot and his bandits were unable to find Daring's copy of the diary, and instead sent the blue pegasus to see if Braeburn knew of its location. Daring must have been somewhere far off to not be found by anypony, even the bandit leader and his gang. Braeburn's exhausted mind hit a wall at the thought of her, unwilling to be objective anymore. His thoughts swam through memories of the pegasus, fueled by his lack of rest. His brain only wanted to think about what was ailing him now, and nothing more. The stallion swore under his breath, his forehead resting on the wall as he closed his eyes.
"If you were here right now, you'd figure this out in a right hurry, wouldn't ya'?" he whispered to himself, his mind clouded and unable to think any longer.
"I hate to intrude..." came a hushed voice, causing Braeburn to whip himself around in fright. He found Autumn Breeze, her tired expression also carrying a sense of worry. She lacked her previous floral-patterned shirt, exposing her flawless off-white coat. Her dual-toned auburn mane and tail were only slightly disheveled, as if her beauty knew no down sides of sleep. "...but are you alright, Braeburn?"
"Y-Yeah," he whispered back, careful not to wake any of the passengers around them. Autumn cocked an eyebrow, tilting her head as she approached the stallion.
"You don't seem fine, if you don't mind me saying," she replied, concern in her voice. Braeburn exhaled through his nose, casting another glance around the car.
"It's nothin', really," he said reflexively, pacing around the mare toward the rear of the car. He heard her turn around, and almost felt the worry on her face increase.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Just gonna get some fresh air," he answered plainly, approaching the door and sliding it open. As the cool air hit his face, his eyes instantly opened and awoke his dreary mind. "And Ah imagine that yer not gonna let this go, so we might as well talk where we won't wake anypony."
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Autumn nodding with a small amount of surprise on her face. The mare followed him through the open door, closing it behind them. Braeburn reared up, draping his forelegs over the guardrail of the train car's rear dock, his eyes looking toward the vast expanse of desert flying by. The cold night air whipped through his mane, the lapel of his duster cast to the left side of his chest. It was almost relaxing, watching the moon's light cast a pale blue glow over the land. He momentarily played with the idea of another one of Sure Shot's bandits finding him, but cast it aside in his fatigue.
Autumn Breeze shook her flowing mane from her eyes, mirroring his position to his right. She gave him a sidelong glance, as if she wasn't sure if speaking first was a good idea.
"You and yer husband sure are keen on makin' sure Ah'm alright," Braeburn thought aloud, his gaze still on the shadow-laden horizon. "Now Ah appreciate kindness in any form, but ya'll don't really know me all too well."
"You are a good pony, that's all we need to know," Autumn said matter-of-factly, as if it were common knowledge.
"And where d'ya get that?" he snorted.
"I'm fairly certain that what you did tonight is explanation enough, not to mention what we have read about you. But then there's also you saving our lives in Appleloosa," she explained. "Now I have to be honest with you; my husband and I were quite skeptical when we heard about you in the papers. Our daughter, of course, immediately idolized you. We didn't think that there was really a pony out here related to the mythical Colt of the West, not to mention one that stood for good, not bad. However, it was truly inspiring to see that we were vastly incorrect. Not only were the papers accurate, but compared to what you really are, the articles are humbling by comparison."
"Oh?"
"Yes," she continued. "You are something they failed to see in you: a symbol of justice. You are certainly a rarity to pony society, Braeburn."
"Ah was just doin' what was right, is all," he said, repeating himself for the umpteenth time. "Ah wouldn't quite say anything like that."
"Do you who does things like that?" she replied with a warm smile. In his silence, she answered: "A hero."
"Ah hate to disappoint ya', Autumn, but the stallion that attacked the train wasn't just some bandit lookin' fer his pay," Braeburn said solemnly. "He was after me. If Ah wasn't on this train, ya'll would have just enjoyed a nice, quiet ride to Dodge."
"You?" she repeated, slightly confused. "Was he with those criminals from Appleloosa?"
"Yeah," he answered before looking back to her. "That was why Ah wanted ya'll to be far away from me. The purple earth pony, their leader, is called Sure Shot. He broke outta jail, and now he's lookin' fer somethin'. Ah don't know what it is, but he's got a whole lotta help backin' him up. Whatever he's up to, Ah don't like the smell of it. So I'm off to Dodge to meet somepony about my equipment before Ah make any more moves forward."
"So if you're not a hero, then why are you going through all of this? Why not just report it to the authorities up North?" Autumn asked.
"Because Ah..." he trailed off, searching for an answer. "...Because Ah have to. If Ah just sat in Appleloosa, who knows what Sure Shot would do before anypony could stop him."
"Do you know what his plan is?"
"No, and that's what scares me the most," said Braeburn. "But nothin' 'bout what Ah've found so far has made me feel any better about it. Every clue Ah find makes me more afraid of what he's up to."
Autumn sighed, looking back to the desert they were riding through, her eyelids lowering in contemplation. Braeburn took the silence as an opportunity to let his thoughts wander back to his heart's desire. However, he wasn't free for long before Autumn's silken voice brought him back to reality: "Ohhh...I know that look."
Braeburn turned his head back toward the mare, raising an eyebrow. "Sorry, must'a drifted off fer a moment."
"What's her name?" she asked, a sly grin on her face. Braeburn only cracked a smirk in response, wondering how in Equestria he was so easy to read. "Oh, is it that mare from the papers? The archaeologist?"
"Ya' got it," he said meekly, not excited to talk about her once again. He expected Autumn to say the same thing that everypony else had said many a time before; meaningless advice that could never aid him in such a situation. At this point, Braeburn had started to think that she would never return. It was a somber thought, but one that was nothing but realistic now. However, his melancholy was broken by the mare's next few words; a simple question that knocked the earth pony off his narrow line of equilibrium.
"You love her, don't you?"
Braeburn froze, feeling his forelegs clench around the railing he was leaning on. He turned away from the pegasus, exhaling heavily through his nose. Autumn only looked at him as the stallion kept his silence for several moments. The only sounds that filled the cold night air were the chugging of the train and the seldom chirps of the birds overhead. Braeburn felt his heart leap into his throat, a response impossible to form. The word was something he had thought of only a few times before. He had never known its true meaning before, so comparing his feelings for the archaeologist to such an emotion was difficult. However, Braeburn couldn't justify confirming such a thing without being absolutely sure.
The stallion sighed once more, leaning his left cheek on a forehoof. It was a thought that made him question his entire relationship with the mare he had come to know so well; so personally. Did she feel the same way? Would she come back even if she did?
"That's a mighty strong word," he said finally, breaking the silence.
"That's not a 'no,'" Autumn replied, her smile still there.
Braeburn chuckled, pushing off the railing and landing on all fours. The white mare did the same, tilting her head at him curiously. The earth pony approached the door to their train car, sliding it open carefully as to not wake anypony inside. He turned his head back at Autumn Breeze, giving her a tired smile. "No, Ah reckon it's not."
The earth pony rested calmly that night, if only for a few hours. He would never had guessed that thinking of Daring could bring him a night of dreamless sleep, but he was surprised to find himself waking with a small smile on his face. However, he was disturbed to find his ears folding back at the high-pitched wail of the train's whistle, signaling their arrival to Dodge Junction. The earth pony wearily sat up to his haunches, cracking his back in several places as he rose. Braeburn rubbed the sleep from his eyes, groaning as he was rocked back and forth by the shoulders.
"Braeburn, come on!" said the voice of a filly. "Wake up! We gotta go before the train leaves again!"
"Aerial, let the poor boy wake up without somepony yelling at him," came Vapor Trail's voice, with a small chuckle. Braeburn opened his eyes, finding himself almost blinded by the morning sun's light through the dusty window of the booth. Around him the passengers of the train car were filing out the doors, all carrying their saddlebags and other luggage. In a half-awake hurry, Braeburn scooped his bags and rifle up from the floor of the booth, swinging them onto his back in one clumsy motion.
"But she is right, Braeburn. We'd better get a move on," said Vapor, prodding him forward and out of the booth. In a dreary state of semi-consciousness, he complied, following the family of pegasi off the train and onto the platform. Ponies filled the area, either arriving or leaving by way of the train. Braeburn yawned widely, placing a polite hoof over his mouth as he and the trio of pegasi stopped on the corner of the platform and out of everypony else's way. As he awoke, he found the family standing directly in front of him, looking solemn but content. The earth pony smirked with realization, understanding that it was their time to leave.
"Well, we all have our places to go," said Vapor, offering his hoof, which Braeburn shook. "It sure was nice to meet you, Braeburn. I hope we'll see you again."
"Yeah, we will see you again, right?" asked Aerial hopefully, looking up to Braeburn with her large, blue eyes. He couldn't say no to such a face, even if he couldn't see them again.
"O' course. Feel free to swing by Appleloosa anytime you three want," Braeburn said, giving the filly a small bump of the hoof. But before he bid farewell to the young riflepony, he bent his neck down to meet her gaze, saying in a small voice: "Oh, and don't worry 'bout that competition. Ah'm pretty sure ya' would o' won anyhow."
Aerial Ace smiled brightly, nodding in thanks. With that, the four of them said their goodbyes, along with a discreet wink from Autumn Breeze. Braeburn nodded back to her, thankful for her kind words from the previous night. As they turned around to leave, an idea came to his mind at the sight of an open pocket in Vapor's saddlebag. He remembered what his father said about Aerial's parent's, and what they had mentioned in conversation the night before. They had been incredibly nice to him; a pony that hadn't even met before. They deserved something nice to happen to them as well.
He thanked Celestia for the noisy crowd around them as he snuck up behind Vapor Trail, dropping a small bag of coins into the opening of his bag. Before the pegasus could look around, Braeburn was gone, hidden in the mass of ponies upon the train platform. The earth pony exhaled once he escaped the crowd, able to breathe again. He now stood in Dodge Junction's main street, where only a few ponies dared to venture. Even the ones that were outside seemed to walk with extreme care, as if another disaster were about to strike the town. A few of them even flinched at the sight of Thumper's butt-stock behind his shoulder, to which he smiled reassuringly in response.
Braeburn shook his tired mind awake, bringing his thoughts back to the task at hoof. It wasn't long before he arrived at Gunmetal's shop, which he found locked tight. There were no lights in the windows, but he could still see the closed sign posted on the other side of the pane. Confused, Braeburn rapped on the door with a hoof, loud enough for the better part of the street to hear. He waited impatiently upon the doormat, tapping a hindhoof against the small section of carpet. After what felt like several minutes of knocking and waiting, the stallion's head whipped up as the front door was unlocked and opened a few centimeters. In the small gap, Braeburn spotted a dull blue eye, looking him over quickly before the door was opened.
On the other side of the threshold stood a tall unicorn stallion with a coat the color of ash. He had a messy mane and tail, long and dark brown with thin streaks of gray. Gunmetal Grey sighed in relief at the sight of Braeburn, his eyes darting back and forth around the street behind him. "Braeburn, there ya' are. Come on in, quickly."
Before he could say a word, Braeburn was pulled into the dark interior of the shop by his duster, sliding across the floorboards on his hooves. With a flash of white light, four lanterns ignited in all the corners of the room, illuminating the shop. On the walls were racks of rifles, some old and some new. On the counter were a couple of piles of papers, presumably purchase records not yet organized. The rest of the shop, however, seemed clean and well-cared for, just like it always had been. As Braeburn cast his curious glance around, Gunmetal closed and bolted the front door shut behind him.
"Ah was gettin' worried 'bout ya', boy," he said, his accent as thick as Bullet Tyme's.
"Ah took the earliest train Ah could, Gunmetal," Braeburn answered.
"Right, well come on out back with me. Ah imagine yer in a right hurry," the gunsmith replied, gesturing for him to follow. Braeburn complied, trotting in Gunmetal's hoofsteps around the counter and through a threshold without a door. Gunmetal's horn flashed once more, lighting a lantern hanging from the ceiling of the new room. The workshop was illuminated, revealing a number of dismantled guns upon cluttered benches and stools. But before the riflepony could take a detailed look around, he felt Thumper leave the scabbard on his back, levitated by the gunsmith's magic. "Let's take a look at Thumper here; see if everything's alright."
The gruff unicorn winced his eyes, and the old Marechester instantly burst forth into a veritable cloud of parts, screws and pins. Braeburn recoiled, having never before seen his trusty rifle disassembled to such a degree. As soon as the tubular magazine was free from the receiver, several long brass cartridges fell into a strategically-placed box atop the bench in the middle of the shop. Braeburn watched in awe as Gunmetal worked his magic, taking apart the final pieces of the bolt and the trigger mechanism. His dull blue eyes focused on a narrow, steel rod with an ever thinner end. "It's a good thing ya' came, Brae. Yer firing pin was about ta' snap in two."
"What? What could cause that?" he asked, worried.
"Age," Gunmetal said simply. "Every part in this here '94 is original; hundreds o' years old. Yer lucky they lasted this long. The firing pin is also gettin' slammed by a heavy mainspring, which also needs ta' be replaced. Quite frankly, Ah've never seen nothin' like this. Marechesters are known fer their reliability, but havin' workin' parts after this long? Ah would'a called it impossible if it wasn't in front o' me right now."
"How much is this all gonna cost?" Braeburn asked, suddenly questioning if he needed to visit a bank or not. Gunmetal, however, only snorted in response. While the unicorn levitated the plethora of parts in the air, he used another glow of magic to open a drawer on the wall marked 'Pre-64 1894.' Floated over to the unicorn by means of a white glow were a couple of sear-springs, as well as a new firing pin and an L-shaped piece of silver metal. As quick as lightning, Gunmetal dropped the old parts and springs, replacing them with the new ones. With another wince of his eyes, the gunsmith reassembled the rifle, the parts coming together flawlessly as the screws tightened in their respective holes. With a nod, the unicorn floated Thumper back over to its owner, who couldn't wipe the awe from his face. Gunmetal used his magic once more, shoving the rounds back through the cartridge gate. Bewildered, Braeburn sat up on a stool, taking the rifle in his forehooves.
"Wow," he muttered.
"There, ya' got a new mainspring, new sears, firing pin, carrier and some fresh screws," Gunmetal explained. "Thumper's as good as new. Now, there's that other weapon Ah told ya' 'bout..."
The unicorn ignited his horn again, and a long, wooden box floated over from a bench on the opposing wall. He set it down in front of Braeburn, who sheathed Thumper once more. Gunmetal paced over, placing a hoof over the lid of the box. His expression was stern, even more so than usual. Braeburn waited patiently for him to speak, exhaling a deep breath.
"Now Brae, Ah know Ah said that this rifle was a gift ta' ya', but this gun comes with a warning," Gunmetal spoke, seriousness in his low voice. "This ain't no ordinary rifle; this here is a serious tool of destruction, in the right hooves, o' course. Ah've put my heart n' soul into this gun fer the past five years, and Ah think it should be in your possession."
"Can Ah ask a question?"
"Ah'd rather ya' did it now rather than later," Gunmetal replied.
"If this thing is as important as ya' say it is, then why give it to me?"
The gunsmith cracked a thin smile. "'Cause Ah know that ya' won't rest until those bandits are either dead or in jail. Now, d'ya have any more stupid questions?"
Braeburn laughed aloud, replying with a shake of his head. At that, Gunmetal removed his hoof from the lid of the box before settling himself on a stool on the other side of the bench. The riflepony felt his muscles tense with apprehension as his hooves made contact with the lid of the long box. It was as if the crate contained some sort of long-forgotten relic of divine power, something he didn't feel worthy of. He entertained the thought of how Daring Do must have felt whenever she uncovered a priceless artifact. Perhaps it was something similar to this excitement. After a short moment of hesitation, Braeburn slowly opened the box.
His eyes immediately flew open at the sight of reflective brass shining brightly in his face, causing him to recoil slightly. Before him was a rifle unlike what he had ever seen before. Instead of blued steel, the long receiver was made of brass, tinting his reflection with a bright gold. Unlike Thumper, the new rifle's receiver was fitted with a brass access plate on each side. The cartridge gate was shorter than a .30-30, indicating the use of a different round. As if the beautiful center of the gun wasn't enough, the hoof-carved stocks were glossy and tinged a bright burgundy, the grain wavy and even somewhat reflective under the coats of fresh wax. At the end of the forestock was a brass endcap, contrary to Thumper's steel band. The barrel of the new weapon was also different. It was octagonal, as well as a few inches shorter than what he was used to. Behind the cartridge gate was a sliding lever, its purpose unknown to Braeburn. He figured that Gunmetal would explain it to him.
But what caught his attention the most was the lever of the rifle. Instead of the dual-looped lever that a Marechester had, this one bore a single loop that worked the entire action, and even acted as the trigger guard. Braeburn picked up the weapon, reveling in its unrivaled pulchritude. He gasped as he turned the face of the receiver away from the lantern's light. Etched into the reflective brass was a multitude of rolling scrollwork, the ends of the lines swaying upward in graceful curls. The newer style of the engraving almost filled both sides of the gun, but not enough to make it look too cluttered. It didn't even look like a gun meant for practical use, but simply for show. He even felt a little uncomfortable holding it, like a prized museum piece out of its case.
"Gunmetal..." the earth pony breathed. "Did you really...make this?"
"Naw, Celestia was in town and did it herself," said the gunsmith, heavy with sarcasm. "What? Ya' think Ah can't build a nice gun?"
"Ah had no idea that ya' built guns in the first place," said Braeburn, amazed.
"Ah don't like ta' advertise it," said Gunmetal flatly, folding his forelegs. "If Ah did, Ah'd have ponies comin' from all over. Not into that kinda' attention."
Braeburn shook his head, looking back to the articulate rifle in his hooves as the gunsmith continued: "Now before ya' run off with that thing, there's a few things ya' need'ta now 'bout it."
The unicorn floated a small cardboard box over to the bench from the other side of the room, along with a wallet-sized metallic box, a latch keeping the lid shut. He then pointed to the rifle's brass receiver with a hoof, starting a steady flow of explanation of its workings: "Now ya' haven't seen a rifle like this fer a reason; the shape of the receiver takes the design of a Marechester Model 1873, but it's made o' brass like the 1866 Yellow Colt. Inside ya' got yer toggle-link action, with a short-stroke kit fer quicker cyclin'. Up front is yer octagonal barrel. It'll be more balanced, more heat resistant, and most important of all; more accurate."
As Gunmetal listed off the features of the weapon, Braeburn tried to comprehend his words. He may had learned quite a lot about rifles in the past year and a half, but he still wasn't a scholar in the field. Feeling as if he were pressed for time, the earth pony only tried to understand what he could. He could only assume that it was all for the good.
"Whaddya call this kinda' weapon then?" asked Braeburn, unable to take his eyes off the ornate scrollwork.
"Unique, if anything," he chuckled.
Gunmetal dragged the larger box of the two in front of himself, flicking it open with the edge of his hoof. He turned it over, carefully dumping a single cartridge in front of Braeburn. "This beauty takes two different kinds of ammunition. Yer primary is the .45 Colt. Not quite what Thumper's .30-30 can deliver, but it'll still take down a pony without a problem. And then...there's the other ammo this lil' devil takes."
The unicorn levitated the smaller metallic box in the air, flicking open the latch to reveal ten rounds of glossy, burgundy cartridges. Braeburn's eyes lit up at the sight of the abnormal rounds, noticing that they lacked a bullet on their ends. But before he could ask, Gunmetal explained what they were: "Meet my other creation: the .45 Dragon's Breath."
Braeburn's eyebrows shot upward, the very name of the caliber throwing him off-guard. "Dragon's Breath? What in the hay is that?"
"The kinda round Sure Shot only wishes he could get his hooves on," said Gunmetal smugly, folding his forelegs again. "Unlike a normal rifle cartridge, these lil' devils don't fire bullets."
"What do they fire, then? Hopes and dreams?" asked Braeburn sarcastically.
The gunsmith, however, did not seem in a joking mood. "These here rounds are what makes this gun more dangerous than others, Braeburn. Ah want ya' ta' take this seriously. The .45 Dragon's Breath is a tool only meant to raise heck. Lemme warn ya', boy: do not use any o' them unless it's absolutely necessary. These are a last-ditch effort to keep yourself or others alive."
Braeburn exhaled. "What do they...well, do?"
"What d'ya think the name is for, Brae?" Gunmetal chided. "It's not somethin' you can explain; it's somethin' that can only be shown. Unfortunately, showin' ya' would spend one o' those rounds. And those are the only ten Ah made. They're darned expensive ta' make."
"Are they what this slidin' lever is here for, then?" Braeburn guessed.
"Well look at that, yer not as dumb as ya' look," Gunmetal chided. "This gun's got a revolving carrier system in it, meaning that it can load rounds into the chamber from two different magazines in the gun. The .45 Colts go in the normal tubular magazine up front. The Dragon's Breath rounds go through the rear stock. Ta' change yer ammo, ya' slide that bolt there. Frontward loads the Colts, rearward loads the Dragon's Breath rounds. But again; ya' don't pull back that bolt without it bein' absolutely necessary. Do ya' understand?"
"Yes, Ah understand," Braeburn breathed. "Gunmetal…Ah don’t know what to say, but…thank you."
“Yer welcome. Just remember what Ah told ya’ ‘bout that thing.”
Braeburn nodded. “Ah promise.”
“Alright, that’s outta the way,” Gunmetal said. “D’ya know what yer gonna do now?”
Braeburn paused, not knowing how to answer that. He placed the rifle back in its box, keeping his unfocused gaze on the engraved receiver. “Ah dunno. Ah have no idea what Sure Shot is up to. Ah have clues, but not enough to tell me what his plan is."
“How d’ya know he’s even got a plan?”
Realizing that the gunsmith hadn’t been told of the recent events, Braeburn recalled his encounters with Sure Shot and his gang from the previous day and night. He went over every detail that he could remember, hoping that Gunmetal could provide some helpful advice.
“So he’s after Cunning’s diary, huh?” the unicorn repeated, rubbing his chin in thought. “You let me read that, and Ah don’t recall nothin’ outta the ordinary in those pages.”
“Ah think he’s looking for somethin’ in those seemingly ordinary pages,” Braeburn commented, crossing his forelegs. “But if Ah’m right, he’s after Daring’s copy. It’d be a might easier to get her’s rather than the original one in Canterlot.”
“Maybe Sure Shot sent that pony after ya’ ta’ see if you knew where she was; where the diary was,” Gunmetal suggested.
The earth pony froze, a chilling theory forming in his mind. “So then…d’ya think he’s goin’ after Daring?”
Gunmetal exhaled, a grave look on his face. “If he needs that diary so badly, then Ah couldn’t imagine him not findin’ her. D’ya know where she might be?”
“No…” he replied quietly, leaning his cheek on a hoof. “Ah have no clue. What do Ah even do now? Sure Shot just teleported away and Ah haven’t seen Daring in over a year. Not to mention nopony knows where Coltwell is…”
“What about your father? Is he doin’ anything about all o’ this?”
“Him and Silverstar are in Appleloosa tryin’ to figure it all out too. What they’re doin’, Ah don’t have the faintest,” answered Braeburn. “What do Ah do now?”
Daring Do awoke in her temporary bed, a small smile remaining from a night full of blissful dreams. She shook her head, amused by her own vivid imagination. Mentally preparing herself for what was to come, the mare rose into a sitting position, the blankets still covering her hindlegs and lap. After a long stretch and a yawn, she found her olive-green shirt on the side of her bed and pulled it over her torso. However, it was a daunting task after such a restful slumber, and she received the help of another pony. The pegasus found Day Break behind her, finishing the job with her teeth. The yellow mare wore an expression of exasperation, practically dancing on her hooves with evident hurry.
“Finally! I thought you were going to sleep all day!” Day Break exclaimed before pointing a hoof to the window behind the bed. Daring turned around to find the sun clear over the horizon, which was no longer an expanse of sea. Now flying past their view was a vast forest, broken up only by a few lakes and rivers down below. They were still high in the air, but Daring knew that they were approaching their destination. She swallowed hard, keeping her thoughts off the creeping dread in the back of her mind. She shivered once, thankfully unnoticed by the other mare, who was trotting over to the other side of the cabin. The yellow mare took the white pith hat off its hook, tossing it to her friend. Daring instinctively caught it atop her head, adjusting it with a hoof.
“I forgot how early you wake up,” she said, giving Day Break a facetious look of annoyance.
“It’s my job to wake up early,” Day Break retorted, approaching Daring once again. “Otherwise Fillydelphia wouldn’t have such nice dawns to wake up to.”
“Right, weathermare. Forgot about that too.”
“I’d prefer to call myself an artist,” replied the yellow pegasus with a sarcastic flair in her voice. “And yeah, you tend to forget a lot of things about your friends.”
Daring raised her eyebrows. “I’m sorry, I hadn’t seen you in years!”
Day Break smirked, waving aside the apology. “Will you learn to take a joke? Come on, get ready so we can get this over with and get back to Equestria already. I’m dying to meet this stallion of yours.”
The dark mare furrowed her brow, scowling at the heat rising to her face. “Ugh, fine.”
“You sure did have a big smile on your face all night,” Day Break said with a chuckle.
“I slept well,” Daring agreed, sitting straighter now, her voice perking up. “I had a nice dream.”
“Well that makes sense. I think I heard you muttering a certain somepony’s name in your sleep,” the yellow mare teased, before stopping what she was doing to whip her head around at Daring with a mock look of disgust. “Ohhh…you had one of those dreams, didn’t you?”
Daring quirked a brow, confused. “What do you mean?” she asked cautiously. A beat later the pieces came together in her mind, and Daring rolled her eyes with a scowl. “Oh come on.”
“You weird little filly,” the yellow mare teased. “When did you become so filthy-minded?”
“Day Break!” Daring exclaimed, her cheeks growing hot again. “Will you stop that already? Geeze…”
Her friend only laughed heartily, covering her mouth with a hoof as she cackled. “Oh my gosh. You are so much fun to mess with.”
“Yeah, thanks for that,” the darker mare huffed. "Bright and early with the jokes. Perfect."
Daring Do rubbed the sleep from her eyes before throwing the covers off herself. With a tired huff, she rolled out of the bed and onto her hooves, stretching her limbs once more. She rolled her neck a few times, feeling well-rested for the first time in years. She smiled to herself, silently thanking Celestia for a great friend like Day Break. They had known each other long enough to get into the other’s head, and sometimes even change their mood with a simple conversation. The yellow mare had proven herself savvy in the field the previous night. All she had to do was talk about what made Daring Do happy, and that was enough to let her sleep well through the night. Daring checked the clock on the wall to find that it was already eleven in the morning. She hadn’t expected to arrive at the landing sight so soon, but didn’t complain in the slightest. As long as she could return to Dodge Junction as soon as possible, she was content.
The dark pegasus tightened the grip her hat had to her head as she opened the door to the front of the cabin. While she crossed the threshold, Day Break was busying herself by packing her bags with supplies. Daring nodded toward the distracted mare once before entering the cockpit of the airship.
The front room of the craft was in the shape of half a circle, the round wall made almost entirely out of thick panes of glass. Two large chairs were bolted into the wooden floor, both facing forward. Daring walked around the chair on the right, plopping herself down into the empty seat. The chair on the left, however, was occupied by the pilot of the aircraft. He was a taller stallion, with a coat of gray and a mane of jet-black, short and slicked backward. He gave the mare a quick smile before returning his attention to the controls in front of him.
“Morning, Artemis,” Daring greeted, followed by another yawn.
“Guess you slept pretty well then,” the stallion replied, his forehooves on the large, wooden wheel. “We’ll be landing in a few minutes. Just gotta find the…Ah! There it is!”
Daring leaned forward in her seat, peaking out through the glass to see what her godfather was pointing at. Just ahead was an interruption in the veritable sea of treetops. A large clearing in the forest came into view, the ground flat and the rocks lining its perimeter covered in moss. It had been a long time since their last visit to this rainforest, a day that had haunted her for years now. The pegasus scowled at the sight, unwilling to let the past affect her mood today. She kept her brow furrowed and her eyes sharp, searching the trees for any sign of activity. After a moment or two, she was satisfied that nothing was amiss and stood up from her chair.
“I’m going to help Day Break get ready,” she declared, her tone serious. “Do me a favor and make this landing quick. I don’t wanna be here longer than I have to.”
Artemis snorted. “Well okay then, Captain,” he answered sarcastically, clearly giving her sudden change of demeanor no thought. Daring was appreciative, for she was in no mood for talking about it. She was focused now; determined to arrive and leave in a timely manner. Without another word, she circled the chair once more and exited the cockpit, closing the door behind her. She found Day Break standing to the right, her nose practically against the glass as she peaked out the window. Her wide, ruby eyes traversed the rainforest below, clearly wondrous over the sight. Evidently packing her things had been a hurried chore, for her saddlebags were already slung over her back, her wings furled around them.
Daring didn’t bother to interrupt her sight-seeing, and instead found her already packed bags next to the bed. She quickly slung them over her back, adjusting the small sheathed knife fixed to the strap around her chest, making sure it was within drawing distance before she was satisfied. It certainly didn’t hurt to venture out into the rainforest prepared. She knew full and well that Ahuitzotl was secure in his enchanted imprisonment, but he wasn’t the only predator lurking in the trees out there.
She joined Day Break in front of the window, watching the treeline of the clearing draw closer to the bottom of the craft. Daring found herself shaking on her hooves, unable to wait any longer. The landing was taking too long. At this rate, the apprehension would kill her. "That's it."
Daring Do broke her gaze from the ground below, biting down on Day Break's bag. Ignoring her friend's cry of shock, the monochromatic mare dragged her friend toward the back of the cabin, only letting go to open the back door.
"What in the blue heck are you doing?" Day Break snapped, before being dragged down the narrow hallway on the other side of the threshold. "We'll land in a few minutes!"
"Too long," Daring stated flatly, pulling down a lever on the right wall. Several clicks echoed throughout the short hallway, and the floor ahead opened up like a door, forming a ramp leading to a hundred-hoof drop. The sound of the propellers grew louder, forcing Daring to yell over the noise: "We're going now! Follow me!"
The archaeologist let herself fall forward after running down the ramp, the wind whipping through her mane as she fell. She heard her friend make the descent right behind her, calling out her confusion. Daring paid her friend no attention as she came closer to the ground. Both pegasi threw their wings open just before they made impact, leveling out just above the dirt. They circled the left edge of the clearing, skidding to a halt on their hooves in front of the descending aircraft. Daring spotted Artemis' confused face through the cockpit window above, giving him a short salute. They only watched the large ship land for a few moments before Daring pulled her friend toward the path behind them.
The rainforest was just as Daring remembered it. The trees were tall, plentiful and teeming with life of all kinds. Even after only a few seconds, she was able to spot a few primates traversing the high branches above. The air was moist and full of the many sounds of the wild. Birds chirped, crowed and even screeched along with the cries of a plethora of varying species. Day Break had to stop, her neck craned upward and her eyes attempting to take in the many views. Daring remembered her first time outside of Equestria, and allowed her friend to enjoy her new surroundings.
"Wow...I didn't think it would be so...beautiful," she said quietly. Daring allowed herself a small smirk, temporarily slowing down her impatience. "A little humid, but still pretty."
"Yeah, and watch your step," Daring warned, starting back down the wide path. "Keep your ears and eyes sharp. We're in the wild, not a national preserve."
"With working wings, this time," Day Break commented with a short chuckle, following the archaeologist closely.
"Yeah, fortunately."
The path was never straight for long, for it had plenty of obstacles to bypass. Daring's old team had made it years ago, so she knew all of its curves and quirks by heart. Unfortunately, they weren't able to find a clearing closer to the temple, making their trek take the better part of an hour. Neither of them dared to take to the skies, saving their strength just in case of any sort of emergency. That, and the canopies of the treetops prevented them from finding their destination. While the archaeologist had a certain knack for direction, she was limited by the parameters of the forest.
The sun started to travel toward its apex for the day when the two pegasi arrived at the bank of a large stream. Day Break trotted off the path and toward the water, peaking at her reflection like a small filly seeing a natural body of water for the first time. Daring rolled her eyes impatiently, tapping her hoof on a rock with a scowl on her face.
"Day Break, I wanna get this done. Now," she stated flatly, her tone serious. The yellow mare turned her head back, her brow furrowed but her playful smile still curling her lips.
"Oh come on, Daring. I never get out of the city. This is huge for me," she argued, almost pouting. "Can I just have a few minutes to enjoy the outdoors?"
Daring snorted, adjusting her pith hat. "You're like a foal, you know that, right?"
"And you're like a grouchy old mare," the other pegasus mused. "It's like you said; we have all day. And resealing Ahuitzotl will only take half an hour anyway."
"Maybe you can sight-see after we're done with that?" Daring suggested, taking a look down the path ahead. "It's right down the..."
Daring trailed off once her eyes snapped to an interruption in the bushes to the right of the trail. She had an idea of what it was, but dreaded the very thought. She ignored Day Break's fascination with nature and trotted over to the anomaly in the forest floor. Every step felt like an eternity as she was slowly able to make out the details of what she was focused on. The mare shivered as she felt a bead of cold sweat roll down the side of her face, trepidation creeping up her spine. As she approached the spot of dirt, Daring Do gasped aloud. Between two halves of a crushed bush, was a deep indentation in the dirt. It was perfectly formed in the moist soil, as if it were dug by hoof as a work of art. But art, this wasn't. Art didn't instill a sensation of cold, absolute fear into a pony like this.
"Daring? What is it?"
The dark mare felt her pupils constrict as her forelegs began to tremble. Pressed into the forest floor was an enormous rear paw print, one that could only belong to one creature in the rainforest. It was twice the size of a stallion's head, pressed six inches into the ground. Dug even further into the earth were the sharp claws that protruded from the toes of the paw. Daring had been on the receiving end of those deadly razors only once before; an event she was keen on forgetting.
"Daring! Hey!" came Day Break's concerned voice once more, still not catching her attention. That print could have only meant one thing, and the weathermare seemed to grasp her fears once she saw the paw print. "What're you...oh my gosh...th-that's not..."
Daring Do threw her gaze in all directions, her mane tossing back and forth. Her tiny pupils traversed both ends of the trail, searching for any sign of movement. Her breath quickened to short bursts, her heart beating in her throat. She kept her head low, her mouth close to the knife strapped to her chest. The sounds of the forest disappeared, replaced by the eerie ringing in her head. She felt Day Break huddle close to her, unable to hide her evident fear.
"Day Break..." Daring whispered. "Don't...mo-"
"Daring look ou-"
But before she could even flinch from Day Break's sudden cry, Daring Do felt something quick and powerful collide into the back of her head. The world spun as she flew helplessly through the air for what felt like several minutes. The archaeologist cried out in pain as her right cheek hit the dirt, the rest of her body grinding against the jagged trail for a few yards. Disoriented, the pegasus slowly picked her head off the ground, a warm moisture flowing down her cheek. Before she could roll to her hooves, a powerful grip wrapped around her neck. Daring let out a choked yell as she was slammed against a tree, a clawed, paw-like hand only giving her throat enough room to breathe. The mare fought to keep her head, her chest heaving with panicked breaths. She opened her eyes, her eyebrows set at a fierce angle. However, her expression changed once her fears were confirmed.
Directly in front of her face was a long head with a pair of bright lime-colored eyes, leering directly into hers. The beast was larger than a manticore and cover in a dark purple and blue coat. His colors were heavily accented by a heavy, scaled gold necklace, falling over his broad shoulders. The arm that held the pegasus in place was enormous, bulging with rippling muscles. The monster parted his lips, displaying two rows of long, sharp teeth in a malevolent grin. It was the face that had haunted her dreams for years now, an expression that sent chills down her spine. The long ears on the back of his long head darted up as he uttered a throaty growl. The archaeologist dared to take a brief look to the left, finding Day Break's limp form against a tree, a trickle of blood rolling down her forehead. However, the mare couldn't find it in herself to be angered; only scared out of her mind.
"Daring Do..." Ahuitzotl purred maliciously. "...it's been a looonnng time."
Daring winced at the familiar, accented voice. She failed to hide her quivering form in his grip, her heartbeat rising with every second. “H-How…” she choked out. “How did you escape…?”
Ahuitzotl sneered, chuckling heartily. “Oh, anything is possible with a little help, my dear Miss Do.”
“So now what? Are you gonna kill me?” Daring asked, pleading for something to come out of the trees and free her from the monster’s clutches.
“Kill you? Well, that is very tempting,” the beast purred. “In fact, I haven’t quite decided yet. However, I know that I will make you pay for having the audacity to imprison the likes of me. Oh yes, you will be punished dearly. I will make you want death; need it even. You will beg for your life to end, Daring Do…but for now, you will sleep.”
Daring panicked as she saw her captor withdraw a small pouch as if from nowhere with his free hand. A long tail came into her blurry vision, another hand at its end. The tail untied the string, and the pouch fell open. But before she could see its contents, they were blown directly into her face by the monster. Her senses immediately started to die out, her lowering ears only hearing:
“Rest well, my prey…”
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ohmygod an UPDATE!!! :D
Did.. Did BRaeburn just got himself a grenade launcher or something!? XD
And oh no DAring Do! D:
well, fuck it all.
another fantastic chapter~ Hopefully she will be able to get out of this unscathed!
Sheeeeit.
Long chapter, intense cliffhanger. A deadly combination.
i like the sound of those dragon breath rounds and I think Ahuitzotl should find out exactly what they do first hand
1676133
Dragons' breath rounds shoot phosphorus or something. Turns the gun into a flamethrower. And they exist irl.
1676341 Forgot to mention that fun fact, but yeah.
Nooooo!!! Daring!!!
1676345
Can I just say that I want to see a deer with a remington woodsmaster as a throwaway character? I mean, it's a deer-rifle already...
Sh#$ JUST GOT REALLY!!! WATCH OUT, HE'S GOING TO GET YOU!!!
(BAM FACE ATTACK!!!)
BOLD ME ME BOLD
It didnt work, darn.
DiveBomb, can you make a pic of the two rifles? PLS?
1676561 I've been planning that. It'll be on my DA eventually and more than likely in a blog post.
...DUDE! SERIOUSLY?! Gah, that ending. Epic as per usual, lovely to read and so forth but, aaaarrrrrrrgggghhhhhhh! Now we have to wait to see what happens next. The tension gunna kill me.
CRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!
Well, Miss Do is down right boned.
Dragon's Breath, hohoho. I can only imagine what it can do.
I am guessing, a very well enchanted, fireblast shell of destructive proportions?
1676596 Thanks. Hey, have a cookie....... sorry im all out, someone ate.
(you see me slowly eatting the cookie)
You see NOTHING!!! (i start to whisper to you) thanks again
This is getting interesting... Could aouli-whatever-the-buck-his-name-is be able to take a grenade?
And then Ahuitzotl kidnapped Braeburn and took the both of them back to his harem, where thy lived happily ever after. The End!
1676133
Dragon's Breath.
It's an incendiary round.
....Dragon's Breath as in the ammo from Black Ops? That stuff's *nasty*.
INCENDIARY ROUNDS!
1676345 Fire bullets here!!!
YAY UPDATE!
Also... Ahuizotl?
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luko7sAjha1qmgf4s.gif
Blast you, vile Aztec fiend! Why do you have to spoil everything?
1676341
Phosphorous-tipped. Typically referred to as incendiary rounds, although I imagine here ones will have considerably more... punch.
Oh nice, Dragons Breath. It'll be nice and toasty up in this bitch now.
I still am hoping that Celestia will come and fuck up Sure Shot at some time.
1678511
I know the difference between dragons' breath and incendiary rounds, mate.
Just noticed that the gun Brae is holding in the art for this story is actually different from Thumper. This would've been much cooler to realize BEFORE he got a second gun...
1678729 What? Oh, no that was just me being lazy toward the end of that drawing.
Nice flame thrower Braeburn :D,
God daring noooooo
1678739
Oh. Looked like a shotgun this time around to me. Oooooooor you're trying to play TRICKS ON ME AND I WON'T BE FOOLED NO SIR! I SEE THROUGH YOUR LIES!
Oh dear. Aztec gods in any form (mortal, demi, etc.) are always warlike and extreme.
PLEASE DON'T FEED THE AZTEC CREATURES! THEY WILL BITE!
Oh, and author? Here's a slight grammatical error: " Evidently packing her things had been hurried chore,"
Keep writing, please, as I ALWAYS read the update as soon as I find out!
1678725
HOLY SHIT.
I didn't know the difference...
MOAR PLEASE! DONT MAKE US WAIT THIS TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dragon's Breath, eh? Looks like things are going to get a bit toasty.
1678725
That slowmo looks like shooting fireworks out of an M203 40mm grenade launcher.
And so the hammer of dawn was bequeathed unto the hero, that he might show his enemies the wrath of the sun itself. Lo, and behold, mortal, for the striking of the hammer will make the rivers run red, set the skies aflame, and make the earth all a'tremble. Truly, his kind have become gods of war, ne'er regretful in the course of loss and woe they chart. Yet they would be wise and hark, for the fury of gods is always a two-edged blade...
1678912
Can you imagine Brae's reaction when he uses the first one?
For some reason I read everything Sure Shot says in the voice of Bane
I don't mean to nitpick, I do it because I love the story!
also: what the hay is Brae gonna do with dragon's breath ammo? It's not like you can use it for anything other than killing, or maybe I'm not creative enough.
1680695
BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN!
With the
lemonsbullets.Also, when Daring goes to the cockpit, she goes to the right side. One sentence later, you mention that her godfather is on the right side.
MAKE UP YOUR MIND!
1680695 Well, he could always take a page out of Harry Dresden's book and use it to temporarily blind a bunch of snipers as he calls for evac.
Oh shit son. You know, one of these days I'm going to figure out that I can't tell when the drama reaches its peak around you. Just when I think we're at the top or due for a break, you just crank the gas up a little bit more and the water bubbles a little faster.
I'm starting to get a little afraid of how epic this is going to end up being.
>>>"What d'ya think the name is for, Brae?" Gunmetal chided. "It's not somethin' you can explain; it's somethin' that can only be shown. Unfortunately, showin' ya' would spend one o' those rounds. And those are the only ten Ah made. They're darned expensive ta' make.">>>
Hmmm... magical fire rounds... it's a Caster Gun!
He needs to get some #4, #13, and #9 shells. Those things take out ANYTHING! Of course, they suck your life out when you use them...
But, maybe it'll be ok in Equestria since there's still plenty of ambient magic/mana in the environment.
This chapter was worth the wait.
Dat cliffhanger! Why must you torture us Divebomb?!
Anyway, great chapter; typical edge-of-your-seat suspense, hardcore action and other awesome stuff. I love Braeburn's constant conflicting thoughts. He has a lot to think about...
Definitely worth the wait, as will the next chapter
Oh my god! Gun porn! I love my gun porn! Thank you for the update! GUN POOORRRRNNNNN!!!!
I know that sounded really weird but I've been on a binge of Borderlands 2 and Red Dead Redemption. And my fill with guns has yet been filled.
Next stop: Halo 4
Best... Story... EVER!!!
Honestly I love the speaking in accents, but I think that know shouldn't be changed to now.
s breath rounds! Hopefully right into Ahuitzotl's eye. Also I like how you said that he purred, the association with cats is nice.
I can't wait for the
Oh lord, the part with Ahuitzotl had me on the edge of my seat.