Eight - Tale of an Immortal
Braeburn watched as Twilight and Applejack shrunk to the size of house cats as the craft ascended into the sky, their solemn expressions becoming more and more indistinguishable as they rose. The yellow mare pulled a lever on the wall of the small bay room, and the ramp slowly lifted upwards and leveled-off with the rest of the floor. For a moment, the bay room was pitch-black until a door was opened, allowing them to see again. The yellow mare stood in the threshold, gesturing for them to follow with a motion of her head. Bullet silently complied, his son right behind him.
They walked into what looked like a living room. There was a pair of small couches on either side of a coffee table to the left, with two cots on the right and another door directly across from the bay room. Before Braeburn could take a more thorough look around, the entire cabin shifted violently upward. The turbines roared to life as they climbed upward, forcing Braeburn's legs to stiffen out of reflex. He closed his eyes as nausea started to rear its ugly head. The stallion shook it off, swallowing as a precaution.
"Never been on an airship, forgot about that," Bullet mused, who looked as if he was still planted comfortably on the ground. Braeburn winced, distracting himself with only his immediate surroundings. He kept his eyes off the windows lining the side walls, looking back to the pair of temporary beds on the right. Both were unmade, the covers and sheets bundled loosely on the ends of the cots. Braeburn couldn't help but stare at the bed closest to the bay door, spotting a single long, dark gray hair on the imprinted white pillow. He let out a breath of air through his nose, grinding his teeth with anxiety.
"Yes, that's where she slept, in case you're wondering," came the mare's voice, breaking him out of his stupor. He looked to his left to find her at his side, staring at the empty bed. Her ruby eyes were half-lidded and unfocused, still bloodshot around the edges. Braeburn watched her closely, finding the corner of her mouth twitching ever so slightly. "I'm sorry that we came by so suddenly. I-I just couldn't wait for anypony else t-to...to..."
The mare's low voice broke and faded away, her eyes closing as she choked back a small noise of despair. Braeburn sighed, his compassion screaming at him to lift a foreleg and wrap it around her. Being a complete stranger he expected to be pushed away, but Braeburn was glad to find her lean into the embrace. She buried her face into his shoulder, her own convulsing as she quietly choked on her tears. The stallion held her close as if she were a long-time friend, resting his chin atop her swaying crimson mane.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," she whimpered.
"Don't be sorry, Miss," Braeburn whispered. "Ah'm glad ya' came to us. But right now ya' need to tell us what happened."
"And just where we're going. That be a mighty fine thing to know," said Bullet, who had seated himself on the rearward couch by the window, his bag and rifle leaned against the wall next to him.
The mare withdrew her face from Braeburn's shoulder, wiping her eyes with a hoof. "She was right; you are kind."
Braeburn smiled at that, although briefly. "Ah'm sorry, but if you could tell us-"
"Right, right, I'm sorry. Come on over and sit and I'll explain everything," said the mare, sniffing back her sorrow and walking over to the coffee table, sitting across from Bullet Tyme. Braeburn nodded, dropping his equipment on the floor against the wall before he sat next to his father on the couch.
“Ya’ might wanna start with yer name,” Bullet started, a small smirk of his face. “Or else Ah’m just gonna call ya’ ‘Sunshine’ with that mark o’ yers.”
To Braeburn’s surprise, the mare actually smiled, if only for an instance. Otherwise he would have scoffed at his father’s rudeness. He didn’t notice it before, but her flank was adorned with a bright sunrise, almost invisible against her yellow coat. “I can’t tell you that I’d enjoy that too much. My name is Day Break; I’ve been friends with Daring since we were foals.”
“Nice to meet ya’,” said the older stallion. “Obviously ya’ know my son, somehow. But Ah’m Bullet Tyme.”
“Oh yeah, my sister in Appleloosa knows you. Odd that she never talked about you, Braeburn,” said Day Break, looking back to him.
Braeburn thought for a moment, taking a wild guess when he said: “Yer sister is Smolder, right?”
Day Break snorted. “I take it the bright coat and mane colors tipped you off.”
Braeburn nodded with a polite smile. While he was anxious to know about Daring Do, he also needed the mare to calm herself before explaining what happened. He needed to know every last detail, even the ones that could have been difficult to remember. Judging by her change in mood, it seemed that he had been successful.
Day Break took a breath, evidently feeling that she needed to start talking about what had transpired. She cleared her throat, looking back to both stallions across from her. “Artemis will be out in a moment. We just need to get on course before he can step away from the cockpit.”
“Artemis?” Bullet asked.
“Daring’s godfather,” answered the pegasus. “He’s pretty much her means of transportation, whether it be by land or air. But he’s…not in the best of moods right now.”
Day Break went to open her mouth to continue, but was interrupted by the front door of the cabin opening. A tall gray stallion stepped into the room, his face gaunt and emotionless. Braeburn remembered his black mane to be neat and slicked back, but now it was messy, a few bangs falling on either side of his face. There was a noticeable lack of life in the stallion’s eyes, as if a piece of him had been taken away. Braeburn tried his best to give him a reassuring smile, but didn’t know what it ended up looking like. He didn’t properly regard Braeburn or his father, but simply paced over slowly, eyeing the beige earth pony with a level of familiarity. Artemis stopped next to the table, not bothering to sit down in the free seat next to the mare.
“I’m glad you could make it, Braeburn,” he said slowly, his once joyful tones now dark and grave. “And you too, Bullet Tyme.”
“Ah take it Daring told you about me too?” Bullet smirked, unsurprised. Artemis only nodded once. “Well, Ah’m sorry ‘bout yer goddaughter. Braeburn’s told me ‘bout yer family situation. We’ll get her back, partner.”
“I certainly hope so,” Artemis replied, nodding to Day Break to continue the conversation.
“Right, well, I’ll explain what happened,” the yellow mare started after a long exhale. “As Daring might have told you, Ahuitzotl isn’t just some storybook villain.”
“Ah apologize to cut ya’ off already, but just who or what is Ahuitzotl?” asked Bullet quickly, as if the question had been burning in his mind. Braeburn had never thought to bring it up in his recollections of his and Daring Do’s last adventure, for the creature had only been mentioned to him briefly in conversation once before.
“Right, you probably haven’t been told,” Day Break acknowledged, sitting up straighter now. “Ahuitzotl is…well, a monster; a beast that I didn’t take seriously until I saw him for myself. From what Daring has told me, he’s…”
When Day Break hesitated, Artemis finished the sentence for her: “An immortal.”
Braeburn’s eyes flew open in disbelief, his heart dropping into the pit of his stomach once again. Daring had never mentioned that, nor had the books, even. He had always thought Ahuitzotl to be of the same league as a dragon or a manticore; powerful, but not unable to die.
“What?” Bullet exclaimed. “So he’s like the Princesses?”
“No, not quite,” Artemis answered. “Celestia and Luna are of a superior type of immortal. They are goddesses, while Ahuitzotl merely cannot die by natural causes. He has lived for hundreds of years, too powerful to be killed by another.”
“Then how come Ah haven’t heard o’ this ‘Ahuitzotl’?” Bullet asked. “Wouldn’t a thing like that be public knowledge?”
“Technically, he is,” said Artemis, becoming more vocal now. “If you read the books, you would know more about him. But again, they are merely tales for fillies and colts. He was treated as a mere fictional antagonist, not the ugly beast that he truly is. Not only that, but Ahuitzotl has remained outside of Equestria’s borders, far beyond the awareness of our government. Daring and I are the only ponies that have trekked the foreign land and lived to tell the tale.”
“Alright, so then he has some sorta grudge with Daring, then?” asked Braeburn, trying to learn as much as he could as quickly as possible.
“Not just a grudge,” said Day Break gravely, putting heavy emphasis on her words. “After Daring recovered the Sapphire Statue, she escaped the tomb and fell right into Ahuitzotl’s trap. You may remember that from the first book, Braeburn.”
The riflepony nodded, able to recall the scene quite clearly, as he had read it quite a few times before meeting the real Daring Do. Day Break continued on:
“Well, Ahuitzotl wasn’t exactly thrilled to find somepony stealing what he built a tomb to protect.”
“Wait, Ahuitzotl built the Tomb of the Sapphire Statue?” Braeburn asked, bewildered. “So…that explains why he built the trap that…”
“…That killed Daring’s parents, right,” the yellow mare finished for him. “But she didn’t know that, at the time. This was years later after their death. But she was told once she met up with Ahuitzotl himself. She wasn’t exactly thrilled to hear that, of course. There was a struggle, one that almost killed her. But in the end, Daring was able to buy enough time for the Keepers to use their magic and seal him in a stone prison underground.”
Braeburn quirked an eyebrow, holding up his forehooves in a slowing-down sort of gesture. “Whoa, now hold on just fer a minute. Who are the ‘Keepers’?”
Day Break cocked her head back, her brow furrowed with evident confusion. “Wait…Daring never told you about them?”
The stallion shrugged. “If it had to do with Ahuitzotl, then we kinda skipped over it. She only mentioned him once fer about a second.”
“Oh, then I guess all of this is brand new information,” said Day Break, turning to look up at Artemis. “You wanna tell them? I only know so much from what Daring told me. She was sorta vague.”
Artemis nodded once. “The Keepers are of an ancient civilization native to Mesoequestria: our current destination. They have a name in their own language, but that’s just the Equestrian term we have for them. You see, ever since Ahuitzotl was young, he has fueled his greed by stealing every valuable gem and artifact from the Ancient Mesoequestrians, even sometimes building temples to safeguard them. But unfortunately, he was never one to sneak in the dark and avoid detection. While he is indeed intelligent, he is still a beast of incredible power. He terrorized ponies in ancient times, destroyed villages and even killed many. Eventually, the ponies of Mesoequestria responded by gathering their most powerful unicorns to keep their treasures and secrets safe, protecting them from the likes of Ahuitzotl. Ever since those times the Keepers have been of the same bloodlines, and are now made up entirely of their descendants.”
“So if that’s their job, how was Daring able to take the Sapphire Statue?” asked Braeburn.
“Because Daring was the one that stopped Ahuitzotl, remember?” Day Break answered almost impatiently. “In return for being able to finally seal the monster that terrorized their lives for centuries, Daring was able to bring the Statue back to Canterlot.”
“And since that day, Daring and I have been friends with the ponies of Mesoequestria, as well as the current generation of Keepers,” Artemis continued. “But now it seems after all this time, Ahuitzotl found a way to break free of his seal. Unfortunately, we don’t know how. He couldn’t have done it himself. Day Break came back to our landing site yesterday and just told me to fly to Appleloosa. But I wasn’t about to leave my goddaughter behind.”
“Then why did ya’?” asked Bullet Tyme.
Artemis scowled, opening his mouth to answer but was cut off by the yellow mare: “Because he would have died if he went after her.”
“I could have at least tried!” the gray stallion exclaimed, although quietly as he glared at Day Break. “If you would have let me go-”
“Then we wouldn’t have a chance of saving her,” she replied, her tone calm despite Artemis’ anger. The stallion snorted, turning around and walking toward the windows on the other side of the cabin.
“She’s more right than ya’ know, Artemis,” said Braeburn, slumping off the couch and standing up, taking a step toward him. “Ah think we might know who let Ahuitzotl free.”
Artemis turned around, his dark, unreadable expression unfaltering. He looked Braeburn’s face over, clearly attempting to extrapolate his meaning. The gray stallion searched his eyes, his own flicking from side to side in concentration. “Sure Shot.”
Even though he had expected Artemis to guess correctly, he was still surprised at how certain the other earth pony was. “How’d ya’ guess?”
“There’s a roaring hatred in your eyes, Braeburn,” he said simply. “It tells me all I need to know. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
The gray stallion quickly walked around Braeburn, crossing the threshold into the cockpit and closing the door behind him. The cowpony didn’t look back, but merely stared at the spot where Artemis previously stood, his eyes half-lidded. For whatever reason, his mind couldn’t stop playing back what he had said. ‘A roaring hatred.’ The words jarred the stallion’s mind, unable to shake the thought free. Hate wasn’t a word that Braeburn had ever even thought to use. It described an emotion he had simply never felt. But if there was ever a pony that made him think about the word, it was Sure Shot.
“Braeburn?”
The cowpony put a hoof to his temple as something rose to life inside his head. He recalled his first personal encounter with the bandit leader. Something he said was set aside at first, regarded as nothing but antagonistic banter.
I believe that the two of us are going to become great friends, but not at first. No, we must be rivals before we can become allies.
“Are ya’ there, boy?”
“So that’s how he’s gonna do it…” the riflepony breathed, turning around to find Bullet Tyme and Day Break sitting on the opposing couches, staring at him with evident concern. His father winced at him, standing up to approach him.
“What’re ya’ talkin’ ‘bout?” Bullet asked.
“Ya’ remember what Sure Shot said to me on that rooftop in Appleloosa? ‘Bout how he wanted me to become part o’ his gang? Ah reckon Ah know how he’s tryin’ to do it.”
Bullet’s answer was quick, as if he had read his son’s mind. “With hate, boy. Ah know. Ah didn’t need Artemis to tell me.”
Braeburn blinked, his head cocking back an inch or two. “How’d ya’ know that?”
His father looked away from him, casting a brief glance back to Day Break. He then lowered his voice to a barely-audible whisper, his words almost nonexistent. “That’s somethin’ we’ll talk about in the future.”
Braeburn furrowed his brow, his eyes widening. He looked his father’s face over, searching for the answers to the many questions that sprung to life in his head. Unfortunately, Bullet Tyme provided no hint or explanation with his unreadable expression. He looked away from his son, taking a step to walk around him as Artemis had done only moments before. However, his pacing was halted by a loud crack that lifted everypony’s ears in shock.
The sound was quick, but definitely existent. Braeburn was certain that his ears hadn’t deceived him due to the sheer volume of the noise. His suspicions were then confirmed at the sound of another sharp crack coming from somewhere outside. Braeburn spun his head around to his father, who looked to be recognizing the noise as well.
“What the hay was that?” Day Break asked worriedly, standing in her seat with her nose pressed against the window. But before either stallion could reply, the pegasus mare shrieked as she spotted something outside. Braeburn darted over to see what instilled such a fearful noise from her, only to grit his teeth in anger as his eyes fell upon a pair of pegasi flying parallel with the airship, brandishing short-barreled weapons.
“Can’t Ah take one darned trip without somepony tryin’ to kill me?!” Braeburn exclaimed before turning around to throw his rifles over his shoulder and onto his back. He looked back to Day Break, pulling her away from the window by the tail with his teeth. She fell off the couch and crouched low to the floor, making sure she was below the window sill’s level. “Tell Artemis to keep the ship steady so we can get these bandits outta our manes!”
“Right. Take the back door to the bay and use the hatch on your left. Use the ladder to get to the maintenance dock on top of the balloon,” she instructed. The two stallions nodded, removing their Stetsons and throwing them on the couch, for they would only be lost outside. He dug in his back with his muzzle, withdrawing his lasso and throwing it around his neck. It had helped him before in a similar situation, so it only seemed right to take the precaution.
“Alright, now go!” Braeburn demanded. Day Break immediately complied, kicking the front door of the cabin open while Braeburn and Bullet Tyme exited out the rear.
“Fer a pony that wants me on his side, he sure is keen on tryin’ to take me out,” Braeburn said. He expected some sort of reply from his father, only to receive a curt nod in response. Regardless of the danger of their situation, the beige earth pony couldn’t help but wonder what his father was thinking. Something just wasn’t right with Bullet Tyme, but this was not the moment to pursue any more questions.
They found the steel hatch that had been unseen before, and Braeburn immediately pushed the metallic lever down for it to open. The door instantly swung around to the right, banging against the wooden craft from the high winds. On the other side of the threshold was a metal landing leading toward the front of the ship, which rattled lightly under their hoofsteps. At the end Braeburn found a ladder, curving outward and around the large balloon that hung a few hooves over their heads. The younger stallion kept his eyes off the shores far below, as well as the vast expanse of ocean they were heading toward. Braeburn gulped, to which his father replied with a firm push forward with his head.
“No time to chicken-out now, boy! If they put one hole in that balloon then we’re pushin’ up daisies by sunrise! Move!”
Braeburn nodded once, summoning every last bit of his courage to mount the ladder and climb, Bullet Tyme right behind him. He didn’t bother letting his fear make slow work of his ascent, but instead climbed the rungs of the ladder as if a fire had been lit underneath him. The wind whipped his mane aside, almost cancelling out all other sounds around him. He gripped each step tightly as the ladder bent outward, his body set at a rough forty-degree angle from the metal landing below. In his ascent, Braeburn kept his eyes on his surroundings, searching for any sign of the two aerial bandits.
“Pegasi…why does it always have to be bandits that can fly?” he cursed aloud.
Fortunately for Braeburn’s nausea, the balloon wasn’t gargantuan, and they reached the top of the curved ladder within a moment or two. The two rifleponies instantly unsheathed their weapons as they dismounted the final rung and stepped onto a flat, wooden surface atop the balloon. It was tied down by many cords around the airship, presumably meant for maintenance of some kind, for it ran the length of the entire balloon. Braeburn spotted the two bandits flying a circle overhead, like a pair of vultures waiting to attack their prey. Now that he could get a closer look at them, Braeburn could make out more details of the pegasi.
One was a male with a small frame, his coat turquoise with a similarly shaded man and tail. The other was a rather muscular female, with a shockingly-bright coat of pink offset by a dull blue mane, blown back in the wind as well as her partner’s. The two pegasi cackled from above, working the bolt actions of their weapons as the two earth ponies racked the levers of theirs. Braeburn couldn’t think of a better time to test Gunmetal Grey’s work.
“Ya’ll got one chance to leave!” he bellowed over the wind. “Otherwise we’re shooting ya’ outta the sky fer good!”
But unfortunately, the pegasi didn’t seem to take his words as more than an idle threat. The female laughed aloud as they continued to idly circle above, speaking to the male. “Hear that, brother? No wonder Boss wants his head so badly!”
“He certainly has some fire, he does,” replied the pegasus stallion, his tones higher pitched than his sister’s, but not quite as animated. “And he even brought us another pony to die, he did. What kind prey, he is.”
Braeburn went to aim his rifle, but stopped as his ears pricked up to the sound of his father’s rifle chambering a cartridge. He looked over to see a brand new Model 1886 Marechester clutched under Bullet’s foreleg, looking remarkably better than the one that jammed in Appleloosa. The older stallion snorted as he spotted Braeburn eyeing the weapon.
“Upgraded to a .45-90 while you were gone,” he said. “Yer not the only one packin’ a little extra firepower nowadays.”
In his adrenaline, Braeburn allowed himself a brief grin at that, turning his gaze back to the pegasi overhead. They ceased their predatory circling to hover high above them, keeping up with the low speed of the airship. He hoped that their rifles were of a lower caliber and not enough to completely pass through the wood beneath their hooves and penetrate the balloon. For whatever reason, they had not simply fired through the enormous weak point of the airship. If they wanted to simply kill Braeburn, then that would be a much simpler route than taking him on in a gunfight. Whatever directions they had from Sure Shot were evidently very specific.
“What do you say, brother?” asked the mare. “Is it time to follow our orders?”
“Yes, I think idle conversation would be inappropriate now, it would,” the male bandit replied. Almost instantly the two flew away from each other, readying their weapons to engage their targets. But they weren’t as quick on the draw as the earth ponies below. Braeburn and Bullet Tyme immediately rose to their hindhooves, crouching as they aimed their rifles.
The turquoise stallion fired first in Braeburn’s direction, who reflexively sidestepped the predictable shot. The wood underhoof cracked, the bullet sending splinters in all directions to his left. Braeburn lined up the brass rifle’s advanced iron sights with his target, and unleashed the weapon’s fury. Without the necessity of switching his hoof between two loops of a single lever, his firing rate was instantly doubled as he unloaded a dangerously-quick three-round burst at the pegasus. The riflepony’s eyes lit up as he worked the smooth action, shocked at the lack of heavy recoil to his shoulder. His target acquisition was now perfect without the blowback, but the stallion above still managed to barrel-roll out of harm’s way.
“Lead yer shots, Braeburn!” he heard Bullet Tyme holler over the gunshots and wind. “Haven’t ya’ ever shot at a movin’ target before?”
Braeburn silently took his father’s advice as both of them dodged respective shots from their opponents. They kept either pegasus engaged, preventing them from switching their focus to the other earth stallion. The beige pony aligned his sights again, this time a few hooves in front of the soaring male bandit. He fired off two rounds, the brass shells flying out of the top of the receiver. The shots were too quick for him to know which one hit, but Bullet’s advice seemed to work as he clipped a single feather on the pegasus’ left wing. He faltered in his trajectory, but still returned fire with a single shot. Braeburn had predicted the attack, and sidestepped again to the left, but still a white-hot pain seared in his right shoulder as the bullet whizzed by his head.
The riflepony grunted in pain, his adrenaline rising as he felt warm blood trickle under the mantle of his duster. The pegasus stallion dove toward him, his wings tucked back and his rifle aimed for Braeburn’s head. The earth pony ducked his head down, throwing his body forward in a roll and out of the way of another whizzing bullet. He finished the somersault in a short skid on his hooves, rearing back up to aim at the ascending bandit. In his peripheral vision, he saw that Bullet Tyme seemed to be having a similar experience with the sister. However, it didn’t look like the older stallion was allowing his age to be a factor. Braeburn was momentarily distracted by his father, who was weaving left and right to evade his opponent’s shots, wood splintering directly where he would only be for a fraction of a second. His speed was extraordinary, and so was his return fire.
Braeburn tore his gaze away from Bullet Tyme, finding the turquoise stallion recovering high above. The earth pony swore under his breath as his target flew to the left and into the sun, blinding Braeburn. He knew that maneuver to be the pegasus’ intention, and held the rifle in his maw as he bolted forward toward the front of the balloon. Small bits of shrapnel exploded behind him, and he kept his head low and out of the way. Braeburn galloped at full speed past his father, evading the slow but consistent shots from above. He knew that it was only a matter of time until he would also start to lead his shots, so the earth pony dove forward, tucking his head down close to his body. He rolled out of the way of a round almost nicking his right hindhoof, responding with a shot of his own midway through the somersault.
This time Braeburn hit his mark, and a tuft of feathers blew apart on the pegasus’ left side. The bandit struggled to keep himself aloft, only to falter and tumble toward the top of the airship. Braeburn kept his iron sights on the stallion as he fell, standing back up on his hindlegs. For reassurance, the riflepony fired off another round aimed at the stallion’s remaining wing, but was surprised to watch him recover in the air with a quick motion of his body. All Braeburn saw was a turquoise flash before the wind was knocked out of his lungs. His body flew back as a result of the high-speed tackle, the brass rifle flying out of his hooves. When Braeburn opened his eyes, he realized that he was falling.
He had been shoved bodily off the front end of the balloon, with an enormous amount of force for an injured pegasus. Time slowed down for a moment as his gaze snapped from the blue sea below to the airship he was still level with. The wind rushed in his ears as he spotted something that could save him, if the earth pony kept his mind straight and his eyes focused. Braeburn bit down on the end of the rope around his neck and jerked the length free. As he fell past the windows of the cockpit, as well as a wide-eyed Artemis behind the wheel, the beige stallion focused his eyes on a short wooden tie-down point on the front end of the balloon’s maintenance dock. Praying that this would work, Braeburn throw the lasso upward. He held the other end in his teeth, bracing himself for the snap in the rope that would save his life.
Braeburn didn’t have to wait more than a fraction of a second before his prayers were answered, and the length of the rope straightened out and snapped tight. He held on with his teeth, grinning like mad as he began a long but blindingly-fast swing. He wanted to yell out in fright at the incredible momentum he was building, but couldn’t release the rope even for a second. At the lowest point of the swing far below the cabin of the airship, Braeburn threw his hindlegs forward to keep his speed up, his duster billowing loudly behind him. The roaring winds made his eyes moist, making it difficult to keep them open. The riflepony grunted when the wind pushed him toward the left side of the ship as he rose in the second half of the swing. He hoped that he could return to the top without breaking a limb. However, a lack of momentum and speed weren’t the issue. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
The rope was still tight as he rose to the level of the left side of the craft, his body now upside-down in his ascent. He panicked but for only a moment at his remaining speed, until he saw something that would return him to the maintenance dock as safely as possible. His eyes found the turquoise stallion, flying clumsily into his trajectory without even knowing it. Braeburn ignored his fear, and focused on the dangerous amount of adrenaline pumping in his veins. With what Braeburn could have only called a battle-cry, he released the rope with his hindlegs tucked in, ready to lash out at his target. The pegasus never even saw the flying earth pony until the very last instance. Braeburn unleashed all of his strength into a bone-shattering kick, a sickening crack echoing high over the balloon as his right hindhoof collided with the cheek of the male pegasus. His body went to follow the direction of his head, but not before Braeburn was able to wrap his forelegs around the turquoise pony’s neck. The two of them fell toward the top of the balloon, only struggling for a moment before they made impact with the maintenance dock. Braeburn was able to keep his opponent on the bottom of the struggle, but he was still thrown into a long tumble across the wooden surface. The earth stallion rolled back toward the front of the ship, this time skidding to a halt on his hooves before he got too close to the edge.
Braeburn found his brass rifle only a few yards away on his right, galloping over to pick it up and reengage the bandit. But when the iron sights of the weapon found the pegasus stallion, he was curled into a ball on his side, moaning and grunting in agony. The fall was more than enough to break a few bones, not to mention Braeburn’s weight strengthening the impact. His short bolt-action rifle was nowhere to be found, and the earth pony assumed it to be thrown overboard in the fall. But before he could even look over to check on his father, a high-pitched cry split Braeburn’s skull:
“Brother!”
He had no time to turn and look before his left ear was deafened by the piercing wail of metal ricocheting right next to his face, an explosion of sparks forcing him to reflexively shut his eyes and look away for a brief moment. When he looked back to his left in search of what ignited the sparks, he found the bandit mare and his father both pointing their weapons at him. Bullet Tyme wore an expression of relief, while the pink pegasus’ was that of utter shock. Braeburn’s eyes widened, his body freezing momentarily as he figured out just what happened. He had only seen a pony do that once before, and he almost couldn’t believe his eyes.
Bullet Tyme quickly turned on a hindhoof, snapping the barrel of his Marechester into the sky. With an enormous bang, he fired a single round straight through the right wing of the pink mare. She cried out in pain, immediately plummeting toward the dock at a sharp angle. The female bandit tucked her limbs in, and rolled across the wooden surface, landing only a few paces away from her brother. Braeburn shook the bewilderment from his head, sheathing his rifle and trotting up to the injured duo along with his father.
Bullet took his Marechester back into his left foreleg and shoved the end of the barrel into the stallion’s chest, who glared back up at him with utter hatred.
“You two better start talkin’!” Bullet demanded, his tone fierce. “Tell us what Sure Shot is up to!”
Braeburn, meanwhile, paced around to the other side of the two grounded pegasi, kicking the mare’s weapon off the edge of the balloon. He stayed in that one spot, not wanting to repeat what happened on the train to Dodge Junction.
“And what will you do if we don’t?” the stallion growled, seething through his teeth.
Bullet Tyme pressed the barrel of his rifle further into the pegasus’ chest, causing him to grunted aloud in pain. “Ah have the largest-caliber rifle in Equestria pointed at ya’. What d’ya think Ah’m gonna do?”
The pink mare moved her head toward her brother, but Braeburn didn’t move. He only kept one eye on their attackers, and the other on his father. “Brother…just tell them. We don’t know enough t-to endanger Boss’ plan, anyway.”
“We know enough, we do.”
“Do you wish to die, brother?” the mare asked, pleading in her eyes. But still, the stallion stayed resolute, even as Bullet Tyme racked a large .45-90 round into his weapon’s chamber. The female bandit gasped, throwing up a hoof in a stopping gesture. “He’s looking for something!”
The older stallion furrowed his brow, keeping his eyes on the turquoise pony below him. “We know that. Has to do with Cunning the Colt, right?”
“Yes, it’s an artifact,” she answered, ignoring her brother’s protests. “We weren’t told anything other than that, I swear!”
Bullet snorted, drifting the end of his rifle down to the pegasus’ hoof. “Ya’ know, Ah think Ah’ll just start with a leg. It’ll be gone in one shot-”
“Please! I swear to Celestia that we know nothing more!”
“A likely story.”
Braeburn looked down to the fretful mare, studying her face. She was just saying words to keep Bullet from shooting her brother; she was spilling her heart out, pleading to be allowed to live. Her eyes were glazed over, wincing with every painful movement. Her pink form quivered in fear, a few of her muscles shaking sporadically. Before, the two pegasi had been confident in their abilities. But now, when faced with death, the mare was realizing the result of their choices.
“Pa,” Braeburn interrupted, looking his father in the eye. “She’s tellin’ the truth.”
His father glanced across his prey, checking Braeburn’s expression. “What makes ya’ think that?”
“Trust me. Have Ah ever been wrong ‘bout a pony tellin’ the truth?” the beige stallion answered. “They ain’t flyin’ home with those wings. But at the same time, we ain’t keepin’ them on this ship.”
Braeburn paced around to his father’s side, bending down to grab the male bandit’s injured wing in his teeth. The pegasus screamed out in pain as he was dragged by his damaged wing, the horrid noise only intensifying as Braeburn tossed him off the side of the maintenance dock. His cries faded away after a moment, overtaken by the high winds atop the balloon. Braeburn spit out the taste of bloodied feathers before turning his head to the pink mare. At the sight of his morbid expression, she rolled to her haunches and immediately dove off the edge after her brother without another word.
“An odd couple o’ ponies,” Bullet muttered, sheathing his rifle on his back.
“Ya’ got somethin’ ya’ wanna tell me, Pa?” Braeburn asked, his voice barely audible over the wind. Bullet looked back to him, his expression confused. “’Cause there’s only one pony Ah know that can shoot a bullet outta the air.”
“Well, now there’s two. Come on so we can get inside already-”
“What aren’t ya’ tellin’ me?” Braeburn asked flatly, demanding an answer. His father was in the middle of turning around, only to stop with his eyes unfocused on the wood beneath his hooves. He looked back up to his son with an irritated expression.
“The hay kinda question is that? Son, I took a shot and it saved yer life. There’s a reason they call me Bullet Tyme after all. Now come on, let’s get back inside before a flock o’ griphons comes along to try and kill us too.”
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More people need to read this story. It feels just like a serial adventure story out of a magazine. Divebomb, your truly have a talent for writing. Keep it up.
Most of this story has been great, but this chapter seemed forced. I'm sorry, but all the action seemed way too over the top. I hope we return to more normal gunslinging soon.
That said, intrigue! Bullet Tyme has some explaining to do, he seems to be hiding something.
calling it now, Sure shot and Bullet tyme are related
1832747>>1832872 and i am calling it that either Bullet Tyme taught Sure Shot how to shoot or they used to be friends
When I saw this update a let out a yell of happiness and every one looked at me oddly
Wowie you shore as sugar can wright no stop action all the way.
keep up the alsome work
1833327 and I have had that happen before at school or at home with my sister (whom is not a brony)
Wait... Sure Shot expects Braeburn to join him... because Braeburn hates him...
When did this get crossed with "Star Wars"?
Cuz you know, except for the whole 'journey toward the Dark Side' thing, most times when you hate someone to the very depths of your being, you just kinda end up killing them. That's kinda how it works.
This is why we invented flak guns, so we don't need to hit them to hurt them.
This just made me smile so much..
Great chapter can't wait for more 
Wow. For some reason I wasn't expecting Bullet Tyme to be quite that much of a badass. Like father like son I suppose, though Bullet doesn't seem to have quite as much mercy in his soul as Braeburn.
...I feel as though I missed something.
Spoiler: Bullet Tyme is Braeburn's fatherAnother good chapter, however I feel like there was something missing in this one. It just didn't have it's normal luster for me, and as much as I liked the idea of the air combat, it just felt a little over-done. I don't really know how you could change it to make it any better, but knowing you, I'm sure there were some things that you did in this chapter to build up for later chapters. For example, I don't think this will be the last we hear of the brother and sister (don't you love speculation?). Overall, It was good, but not the normal ohmygoshthisisfreakingamazing chapter you often produce.
As much as I want to rage at you about prolonging Daring/Braeburn's meeting, some part of me keeps reminding me that it just means your writing is working.
Keep up the good work.
Looks like Bullet Tyme can use Bullet Time? Another great chapter! I look forward to more.
Calling it... sure shot is bullet tymes younger brother.... (all other family ties have been guessed except this one...)
Oh and MOAR!!!!!!!!
That was so great ya did well there,
Can't wait fer the next one that was good. 
Also gald to see ya updating faster. can't wait need MOAR!
So much win. no other description available from me. (Really, I sat here for twenty minutes trying to think what to type, just... You win.)
images.wikia.com/victorious/images/a/af/22463_safe_scootaloo_animated_sweetie-belle_hearts-and-hooves-day_oh-come-on.gif
If that wasn't a straight line, I don't know what is. There was a distinct lack of barbecued pegasus in this chapter.
Eh, I nitpick because I love. Seriously, great chapter.
A lighter than air craft shouldn't have enough air pressure in the envelope to put the craft in danger of terminally crashing if a couple of holes are put in the envelope. And if it's a hydrogen balloon, it's unlikely a bullet would set it off. Though I suppose Bullet might not know that.
Well, this here chapter has changed my head-canon now to that Ahuitzotl is one of the immortals- nice job
if i remember correctly, sure shot mentioned something about sharing blood or some such, im a bit fuzzy on the details but im sure he mentioned something along those lines... i knew- well got this feeling when sure shot monologue'd that he was implyin they were related.
thank you
anywho, i noticed that Braeburn has gotten a might bit darker this time around; with the whole dumping currently flightless pegasi over board...
i foresee a 'conflicting morality' moment for brae in the near future. brae is slipping (slowly) to the dark side of the forc- i mean of his self... you know, i also see his pent up agression/rage and bottling emotions til they burst AND his acting purely on emotion leading to him making a grave choice (most likely literal) when he finally confronts the baddies...
all in all id say you have set up quite the EPIC story of AWSUM for us!
1833728
its kinda like this(making another starwars reference): just like when anikin 'killed' padme and kinda had nothing left in his world, Braeburn will (possibly, this is all speculation), in his rage, lash out and doom himself somehow (by taking a life for example, he gives up a part of himself and in his despair just 'goes with the flow' and lifelessly takes the only path he believes he has left- following sure shot). any ways, sure shot will most likely take advantage of braes vulnerable state after such an occurance, and 'trick brae to the dark side' if you will...
however, this is, as i said,'all speculation', and will probably not occur of course... but if it did, i imagine that it would happen similarly to that.
Ok, whoa, did he just toss a flightless pony out of a flying craft? I mean, yeah they are over an ocean, but what the hay!? Kinda dark for Brae isn't it? I hope those two can tread water.
I loved the aerial combat. I tried writing an action fic (involving Daring Do no less) and I don't think the aerial combat was half as good as this was. I gotta start takin' notes.
1944478
If you back up a bit you will notice that both of the ponies still have use of a single wing. so they won't hit too hard and they aren't completely flightless.
2017177 A plane with one wing is not going to have a soft landing...
Epic!!!