High Noon At Dodge Junction

by MontyCS

Chapter 2

----

The next morning, the townsponies all emerged and quickly got to work repairing the damage done to the town by the Hole In The Hoof Gang, and the Mane Six wasted no time in lending them a hoof. Before long, Dodge Junction almost looked as though the Hole In The Hoof Gang had never been there.

"It's mighty kind of y'all ta help out fix th' mess those outlaws left behind." Cherry Jubilee said as she and Applejack worked together to fix a broken fence.

"Ah shucks, what else are friends fer?" Applejack replied.

"And besides..." added Pinkie Pie, who was sweeping debris off the sidewalks with Derpy, "Isn't it the job of the sheriff to clean up the town?"

Nearby, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "I don't think they mean that literally, Pinkie Pie."

"In any case..." Applejack continued, "We're all happy ta help. Besides, th' sooner we get this place back in tip-top shape, th' sooner we'll be back in business."

"That's right; we got a festival ta put together!" Cherry Jubilee said with enthusiasm.

Fluttershy blinked in surprise, "You mean you're still having it?"

"Of course we are!" Applejack declared.

"But what if those dreadful outlaws come back?" asked Rarity.

Cherry Jubilee gave a confidant smile, "Ah've talked it over with th' rest o' th' townsponies, an' we all decided that we ain't gonna let that gang o' scoundrels ruin our town's biggest celebration. We'll show 'em that we ain't afraid o' them no more."

"That's right!" nodded Applejack, "And if Deadwood and his ruffians dare show their faces in town again, we'll kick 'em out again just like we did before."

"Sure, as long as the Pink Ranger is around..." Twilight mused.

"Yeah, that Pink Ranger sure gave 'em what fer!" one of the townsponies put in, before another asked, "I wonder who that Pink Ranger was?"

Twilight glanced at Pinkie Pie and Derpy, "Oh, I have a pretty good idea..."

Suddenly, a loud scream pierced everypony's ears; startled, everypony turned, and were shocked to see a rather ragged-looking stallion stumbling into town.

"Sheriff! Help! Sheriff! Somebody help!" he shouted frantically.

Alarmed, Applejack quickly trotted over to him, "Whoa nelly! Slow down! Just tell us what's goin' on!"

"Trouble... Outside o' town..." the stallion panted.

"Trouble?" inquired Rainbow Dash.

"A cave in..." he continued, "At the old abandoned mine..."

Twilight's eyes widened, "A cave in?"

"Ponies are trapped!" the stallion finally blurted out.

Fluttershy gasped, "Trapped?!"

"Oh, awful!" cried Rarity.

A look of determination spread across Applejack's face; while Deadwood Dutch and his gang were gone, she had chosen to remain as sheriff of Dodge Junction at least until after the town festival. And she was not one to shy away from duty, or from ponies in need.

"Okay, no time ta lose!" the orange earth pony quickly took charge, first telling the stallion, "You head back th' mine, an' let those trapped ponies know help's on th' way!"

The stallion nodded, and quickly galloped back the way he had come. Then, Applejack proceeded to give instructions to her friends (and her deputies).

"Miss Jubilee, Ah'll need ya ta come with me, Twilight, an' Rainbow, an' show us ta th' mine." she directed.

"Of course, Applejack." Cherry Jubilee agreement.

"Your deputies are with you, Applejack." said Rainbow Dash, while Twilight nodded in acknowledgment.

Applejack then turned towards Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Derpy, "An' th' rest o' y'all keep an eye on things around until we get..."

Applejack trailed suddenly off as she, and everypony else suddenly noticed that Pinkie Pie and Derpy had disappeared.

"Pinkie Pie? Derpy?"

Everypony looked around, but there was no sign of the pink earth pony, nor the bluish-gray pegasus anywhere.

"Where'd they go?" asked Rarity.

Unconcerned, Twilight rolled her eyes, "Don't worry. I think I know what they're doing."

"All right." Applejack said at last, "Rarity, and Fluttershy, YOU TWO keep an eye on things around until we get back."

"We'll do our best." nodded Fluttershy.

Returning the nod, Applejack turned back towards Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Cherry Jubilee.

"All right, y'all, let's move it!"

Cherry Jubilee led the way, "Okay, follow me."

"Be careful!" Rarity called as the four of them quickly headed out.

Fluttershy, however, suddenly began to feel somewhat uneasy. The yellow pegasus couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but there seemed to be something awfully familiar about that stallion who'd come asking them for help...

----

The entrance to the old abandoned mine loomed before Applejack, Twilight, Rainbow, and Cherry Jubilee like a gaping maw of darkness.

"This th' place?" asked Applejack.

"This is it." Cherry Jubilee confirmed.

A moment later, the distressed stallion emerged from the mine, and frantically pointed back towards entrance.

"There! They're in there!"

Applejack quickly turning towards Cherry Jubilee, "Miss Jubilee, wait out here with him. We'll take it from here."

Cherry Jubilee nodded in agreement.

"C'mon, y'all." Applejack said to Rainbow and Twilight.

With that, the three of them darted into the mine.

Powering up her horn to illuminate their surroundings, Twilight took point as the four of them made their way further down into darkness.

"Hello! Is anypony there! We're here to help!" the three of them shouted.

Listening intently, at first they could only hear echoes...

Applejack took a deep breath, and shouted again, "Hello! Is there anypony there?!"

"Here!" a faint voice called at last, "Down here!"

"Hold on! We're coming to you!" yelled Rainbow Dash.

Applejack promptly took the lead as they darted forward once again, following the sound of the voice. They weren't sure just how far they'd gone when suddenly, Applejack, who run ahead of Twilight's light, felt herself run right smack into somepony, causing everypony to fall over one another.

"Hey! Can't you look where you're going?" cried a voice everypony immediately recognized.

"Pinkie Pie???" Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow all exclaimed.

"Hey! Whoa! Wap-ap-ap-oh." the pink earth pony said as everypony regained their hooves, "I'm not Pinkie Pie, I'm the Pink Avenger!"

Nearby, Derpy eagerly added, "And I'm her faithful steed, remember?"

Applejack and Twilight both rolled their eyes.

"Right. However could we forget?" the orange earthpony and lavender unicorn said respectively.

"Hey, wait a minute!" interjected Rainbow Dash, "How did you get here before us?"

Holding up her hoof, the Pink Avenger opened her mouth to answer, but ultimately realized she didn't actually know, and turned to look at Derpy.

"Ah... Actually, uh, how did we, my faithful stead?"

But Derpy just shrugged, "Well, ya got me. By all accounts, it doesn't make sense."

"Oh, well." said the Pink Avenger after a beat, "Back to business."

Knowing that this was PINKIE PIE they were dealing with, nopony pressed the issue further.

"Anyhoo..." the orange earth pony said, "Did you two find the ponies trapped down here?"

The Pink Avenger shook her head, "No, not yet. We were actually just about to check out something up ahead when you guys showed up."

"Check what out?" asked Twilight.

Motioning for everypony to follow her, the Pink Avenger proceeded to lead everypony further down into the mine until at last, the passage widened into a large chamber. Upon entering, everypony looked around, and found that the area was strewn with abandoned mining equipment.

But that was all; there was no sign of any trapped ponies.

"Hello?" Applejack again called out.

"We're here to help!" Rainbow Dash added her voice, "Where are you?"

But once again, there was no response.

The Pink Avenger shook her head in confusion, "I don't get it. If somepony needs help, then why don't they answer? You'd almost think there was nopony down here!"

"Yeah, and what's with all those red sticks on the ceiling?" asked Derpy.

As the words of the bluish-gray pegasus sunk in, everypony promptly turned their gazes towards the ceiling. Sure enough, they could all see that a series of bundles of red sticks had been placed on ceiling, and they realized with alarm just what those sticks were.

Dynamite.

And that's when the reality of the situation finally began to hit them...

"We've been duped...!" the lavender unicorn realized with dawning horror, "There ARE no trapped ponies down here!"

"No, but there's ABOUT ta be." a familiar voice suddenly echoed down from the mine entrance, making their blood run cold.

It was the voice of Deadwood Dutch.

"Everybody out!" yelled Applejack as she and Rainbow Dash darted towards the tunnel leading out of the mine.

Twilight began to do the same but froze when she saw that the Pink Avenger and her faithful stead had fallen behind, for Derpy had tripped over a rock protruding from the ground, sending the two of them sprawling to the ground. Worse, already the lavender unicorn could actually feel the building explosion about to engulf them. And so, acting out of pure instinct, she did the only thing she could do.

Without even thinking about it, Twilight rushed back into the chamber to where the pink earth pony and bluish-gray pegasus had fallen, and activated her magic just as the cave exploded around them...

----

Back outside, Deadwood Dutch and his Hole In The Hoof Gang watched with smug satisfaction as the ground shook and a large puff of smoke came out of the mine entrance.

"NO!!!!" Cherry Jubilee cried out in horror as she was restrained by the stallion who'd come to town for help; he'd been a member of Deadwood's gang all along.

The whole thing had been a trap.

For a long moment, there was only silence from inside the darkness of the mine. Then, there came the sounds of coughing and somepony struggling to make their way out until at last, a disheveled Applejack emerged from the cave exit, carrying a battered and bruised Rainbow Dash with her.

Of Twilight, Derpy and the Pink Avenger there was no sign.

"Well, well, well..." smirked Deadwood Dutch.

Applejack looked up at him, "Deadwood..."

"Thought y'all had us licked, did ya?" the outlaw leader asked mockingly, "Sorry ta disappoint, but Ah always have a plan."

"We shoulda known y'all were behind this."

Deadwood just grinned, "But y'all didn't. An' now it seems yer short one deputy an' one Pink Avenger."

At this, Rainbow Dash shrugged herself off from Applejack's support, and struggled to stand tall before the gang of outlaws despite the injuries she'd sustained in escaping the exploding mine.

"We've faced worse odds before!" the sky blue pegasus growled, "Now let Miss Jubilee go before..."

But Rainbow's attempt at bluster quickly deflated as her strength gave out, and she slumped to her knees.

Ah don't think yer in any position ta be callin' th' shots, darlin'." Deadwood Dutch laughed, "WE on the other hoof..."

With that, the outlaw leader gave his gang a knowing look, and they all began to menacingly advance towards the orange earth pony and sky blue pegasus. Applejack quickly positioned her between her injured friend and the Hole In The Hoof Gang, but she already knew that it was futile...

There only one thing she could do.

Tying her lasso into one big loop, Applejack quickly tossed one end over the top of a tall pair of nearby cactuses, before putting Rainbow Dash inside the other end.

"AJ, what are you doing?" Rainbow asked in confusion; even the outlaws paused for a moment in bafflement.

"Gettin' you outta here!" replied Applejack as she pulled her friend backwards, making the cacti bend over as the rope went taut.

She knew this was absolutely crazy, using her lasso and a pair of cacti of all things to slingshot one of her friends to safety. It was the sort of thing that she'd expect Pinkie Pie to come up with, but it wasn't like if she a better plan. And for all she knew, it just might work.

"You can't be serious!" said Rainbow as she realized her friend's intention.

"Just trust me!" Applejack commanded as the rope and cactus were finally stretched as far back as they could go. "Y'all need ta go an' warn th' town!"

"But what about you and...?" Rainbow started to ask.

"Don't worry about us! JUST GO!!!" Applejack yelled as she finally let go of her friend.

With a loud TWANG, Rainbow Dash was launched into the air by the makeshift slingshot.

"APPLEJAAAAACK!!!!!" the sky blue pegasus screamed as she soared off into the distance.

Applejack could only wish her luck as Deadwood Dutch and his gang finally closed in around her.

----

Down in the pitch-black darkness of the collapsed mine, there was only a deathly silence that seemed to last for an eternity. But finally, the cave walls were suddenly illuminated by a bright purple glow as a large pile of rocks were levitated out of the ways, revealing covering Twilight, the Pink Avenger, and Derpy protected under a protective forcefield. All three of them were alive, and unharmed.

Just barely.

"Great job, Twilight!" commended the Pink Avenger as the lavender unicorn lowered the forcefield, "That quick thinking of yours really saved our flanks."

"Sure saved mine!" Derpy agreed.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Twilight quickly took in their surroundings, and saw with growing dread that the tunnel leading to the mine's entrance had collapsed, leaving the three of them with no way out.

"I...I wouldn't start celebrating yet." she said grimly, "I think... I think we might be trapped down here."

Seeing that Twilight was right, and filled with alarm, the Pink Avenger ran over to the barrier of rock and dirt that separated them from the exit, and frantically tried to dig her way through, but quickly realized that it was useless.

"You're right; it's a dead end!" the pink earth pony cried, "We're trapped like rats!"

Twilight's shoulders slumped, "It was Deadwood Dutch; this whole thing was a trap. And we fell right into it."

"But what happened to Applejack and Rainbow Dash?" asked Derpy.

Twilight anxiously looked around, "I don't see them anywhere. Hopefully, they got out in time. But if the Hole In The Hoof Gang is really out there, then they could be in trouble!"

"The whole town could be in trouble!" added the Pink Avenger.

"So what do we do?" Derpy asked.

Twilight's sense of dread began to deepen as the implications of her friends and the town being left at Deadwood Dutch's mercy.

"We have to get out of here." she said at last, "There's gotta be another way."

With that, the three ponies began to make their way deeper into the mine, hoping against hope that they would find another exit, and more to the point, that they would make it back to the town in time.

----

Back in Dodge Junction, everypony patiently waited for the return of Applejack and the others. By now, the town was back in full working order, and the townsponies had resumed their usual daily business. All that there was left to do other than wait was to begin preparations for the town festival, which both Fluttershy and Rarity gladly took part in.

However, there remained an edge of anxiety hanging over the town that nopony could seem to shake. In spite of the townsponies' previous bravado, the knowledge that the Deadwood Dutch and his gang were still out there could not be completely ignored.

Then, everypony became aware of a faint whooshing sound coming from somewhere off in the distance, and it seemed to be getting louder...

"Hey, what in tarnation is that?" one of the townsponies suddenly asked, pointing up at the sky.

Fluttershy and Rarity looked up along with everypony else and were startled when they saw some kind of multi-colored object soaring through the air, heading in the direction of the town.

"I don't know..." Rarity said with growing alarm, "But I... I think it's coming right for us!"

"Oh, no way." disagreed Fluttershy, "It's not even coming close."

The incoming object grew larger in size as it rapidly closed the distance.

"Yes, it is!" Rarity insisted.

"No, it's not!" Fluttershy shot back.

Around them, the alarmed townsponies were beginning to scatter. A cry of fright escaped Rarity's throat...

"Or...uh...maybe it is." Fluttershy finally conceded.

Fluttershy and Rarity both leapt to the side just as a multi-colored blur crash-landed right at the spot where they'd been standing, sending up a huge cloud of dust. For a long moment, all was still as the yellow pegasus and white unicorn could only stare as the dust cloud gradually cleared...

There, lying in a crumbled heap, was a battered, and bruised Rainbow Dash.

"RAINBOW DASH!!!" Fluttershy and Rarity both cried out.

The next few moments were a blur of motion to the yellow pegasus and white unicorn as they almost frantically ran forward to collect their friend. Rainbow Dash was badly dazed, and almost collapsed when she tried to stand.

"What happened?" a distressed Rarity asked.

"And where are the others?" added Fluttershy.

Groaning, Rainbow Dash finally gasped out, "Deadwood... The Hole In The Hoof Gang... They... They got Applejack and Miss Jubilee..."

As the sky blue pegasus's words sunk in, a deep chill began to creep up everypony's spine in spite of the desert heat.

----

Fluttershy and Rarity immediately helped Rainbow Dash into the sheriff's office and tried to attend to her as she filled them in on all that had happened at the mine, and how Applejack had helped her escape.

"There was never anypony in trouble. It was all a setup." the sky blue pegasus said, wincing as Rarity gently massaged her dirty, bruised face with a wet cloth, "Deadwood tricked us into coming to the mine where he could beat us on his own terms."

"I thought there was something familiar about that pony who came to town asking for help." lamented Fluttershy.

"Oh, this is horrible!" Rarity wailed, "Those awful ruffians have Applejack and Miss Jubilee! And what's worse, Twilight, Derpy, and Pinkie... er, I mean the Pink Avenger are lost to us! Lost, I tell you!"

"No, no, no, no..." Fluttershy tried to reassure her, "We... We mustn't think that. I mean, for all we know they're still okay, right Rainbow...?"

"We can only hope..." Rainbow replied, a bit doubtful, "But I think..."

Suddenly, they were startled when there came an abrupt knock at the door of the sheriff's office. Heading over to the door to answer the knock, Fluttershy was surprised to see a rather rough-looking stallion smiling rather smugly down at her.

"Special delivery fer th' ex-sheriff!" he declared, holding out an envelope.

Fluttershy took it somewhat hesitantly, "You mean...me?"

"Compliments o' ma boss!" the stallion tipped his hat, before shutting the door in Fluttershy's face before she could inquire further.

Baffled, the yellow pegasus slowly headed back over to Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Upon opening the letter, she was slightly startled when a small object fell out onto the floor. Picking it up, Fluttershy quickly recognized it as the sheriff's badge, the very one that had more or less started this whole thing.

Fluttershy gasped "The sheriff badge..."

"Applejack's badge." Rainbow Dash clarified.

"But what does the letter say?" Rarity asked.

Holding up the letter, Fluttershy began to read, "It's for me. And it says..."

Dear Ex-sheriff,

Normally, Ah wouldn't bother with th' likes o' somepony as yellow as y'all, but Ah don't like loose ends. Dodge Juction ain't big enough fer th' two o' us. If y'all want yer two friends back, come an' get 'em. Be on the streets at high noon; we're gonna have a showdown, an' settle this once an' fer all. An' Ah wouldn't expect any help from that Pink Avenger either. Ah'm afraid she's got an appointment with some coffin jockeys, if ya know what Ah mean! So come prepared ta meet yer fate, it y'all got th' guts, that is.

Sincerely, Deadwood Dutch.

P.S. AN' DON'T BE LATE!

As the contents of the letter fully sank in,

Rainbow Dash struggled to push herself to her hooves in spite of her injuries.

"Well..." she gasped out "If Deadwood thinks I'm gonna let him threaten...another one of my friends...he's got another thing coming!"

But Rainbow Dash barely took three steps before she again stumbled down on her knees.

"No, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity cried as she pulled her friend back up, "You've been hurt for the second time in two days! You're in no fit state!"

"Well, somepony has to do something, Rarity!" Rainbow Dash asserted.

"But it doesn't HAVE to be you!" protested Rarity.

Rainbow almost laughed, "Don't tell me that YOU'RE going to go face Deadwood Dutch?!"

As her friends began to argue, Fluttershy replayed Deadwood's message in her head. He had specifically demanded that SHE come and face him, and she was afraid. But she thought about how she'd ripped off the sheriff's badge and run away during their first meeting with the outlaw leader. As a result, Applejack had taken up the job as sheriff with Twilight and Rainbow Dash as her deputies. And now...

The outlaws had Applejack and Miss Jubilee. Rainbow Dash was injured for the second time. Twilight, the Pink Avenger, and Derpy were gone, lost down in the darkness of the old, abandoned mine. And now Dodge Junction would soon be at the mercy of the outlaws once again.

Looking down at the sheriff's badge, Fluttershy now knew what she had to do. Taking a deep breath, she turned toward Rarity and Rainbow Dash, who were still arguing.

"Girls, stop it." Fluttershy suddenly interjected, "Rarity's right, Rainbow. You're in no state for this. Besides, it's me who Deadwood asked for. So... I'll go."

For a moment, Rarity and Rainbow Dash could only stare at Fluttershy as she finally pinned the sheriff badge back on her chest.

"What?!" Rarity exclaimed.

"I never thought I'd put it back on, but now..." Fluttershy trailed off.

"You... You can't be serious, Fluttershy!!!" said Rainbow Dash incredulously.

"To be honest, I wish I wasn't..." the yellow pegasus admitted, "But I have to do this."

"Why?" asked Rarity.

"Because I can't just run away again." Fluttershy replied, her voice tinged with shame, "By Celestia, I wish I could. But I just can't. I can't let everypony down again..."

Rarity and Rainbow Dash's expressions softened at Fluttershy's words. They knew the yellow pegasus still felt guilty about her actions in first encounter with Deadwood Dutch.

"Fluttershy, if you're just trying to prove something...!" Rainbow Dash.

"I'm NOT trying to prove something, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy asserted rather forcefully, "It's because Applejack, Miss Jubilee, and the townsponies are all depending on me!"

Needless to say, Rainbow Dash and Rarity were quite taken aback by Fluttershy's sudden outburst, and upon seeing her friends' shocked expressions, the yellow pegasus quickly made herself calm down.

"I'm sorry. This is all just...a lot to handle..." she said regretfully, "But look, maybe...maybe this won't be so bad.

"What?" Rarity asked.

Fluttershy gave a nervous smile, "You know, maybe the Pink Avenger will make a triumphant return to help save the day in the end."

It was wishful thinking, and all three of them knew it, but they guessed that a slim hope was better than no hope at all.

"Well, if you're certain. Okay..." Rarity said at last.

Rainbow Dashed sighed, "I guess there's no stopping you. But there's no stopping us either, Fluttershy. We're coming with you."

"We are?" Rarity blinked, "I mean, yes! Of course we are!"

"Really? But you're..." Fluttershy started to say, clearly concerned about Rainbow's injuries.

"I may be down, but I'm far from out." insisted Rainbow, "And I just can't let you go out there alone!"

Rarity nodded slowly, "Neither can I. Whatever is to come, we will stand with you, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy smiled warmly in a full sense of gratitude. Although she was tempted to say that this was her burden, she could see that her friends just as steadfast in their conviction as she was. And not only was the yellow pegasus relieved, but she was also touched that she wasn't alone in this.

"Thank you..." Fluttershy said at last, "Rarity and Rainbow Dash, I name the two of you my official deputies!"

----

Twilight, the Pink Avenger, and Derpy traveled for what seemed like hours through the dark tunnels of the old abandoned mine, using the glow of Twilight's magic to light their way. But by now, their hopes were dwindling fast.

Tunnel after tunnel. Dead end after dead end. It all looked the same to the three ponies, and it seemed to just go on and on...

And what was worse was that they had no way of knowing where they were actually going. For all they knew, they were just heading further and further down underground with no way out.

At last, they found themselves unable to go any farther, and could only slump down onto the ground in hopeless exhaustion, ready to give up.

"It's no use... We're sunk..." breathed Twilight.

"It looks like this is the end of the trail!" the Pink Avenger cried, "We're lost, trapped in eternal darkness with no food, no water..."

"And no happiness!" finished Derpy.

The Pink Avenger could only crawl over and embrace the bluish-gray pegasus.

"I'm sorry, my faithful steed! But don't worry; soon, this will all be over, and you'll be outta your misery!"

In her own despair, Twilight barely registered her friends' words. The lavender unicorn had never imagined things would end up like this when they first boarded the train for Dodge Junction back in Ponyville. It had all just supposed to have been a fun outing to visit Miss Jubilee during her town's festival. But instead, here she was trapped in a cave, with her friends were scattered, and a band of outlaws on their way to wreak havoc on the town.

And this time, Twilight could see no way out. It really did look like the end of the trail.

But then suddenly, something caught her eye up ahead. Some kind of glow...

"Hey... Is that light up ahead...?" she asked.

"See, Derpy! It's almost over!" the Pink Avenger told her faithful stead, "Twilight can see the light at the end of the tunnel! So long, old friend!"

"No!" asserted a somewhat annoyed Twilight, "I mean there's really light up ahead!"

The Pink Avenger and Derpy finally stopped their wallowing, and looked up, seeing to their surprise that Twilight was right.

Pushing themselves back to their hooves, the three ponies began making their way forwards toward the mysterious glow.

At last, they stepped into the light, and were temporarily blinded by the bright glare, but once their vision cleared, they were shocked and overjoyed to find an opening to the outside. They had found the exit! They had made it out of the mine!

"Daylight!" Twilight exclaimed as they ran out into the light of day, "We made it!"

"We made it out! I knew we would!" the Pink Avenger shouted as she and Derpy literally began to kiss the ground, "See, I told you guys there was no reason to worry!"

"You sure did..." Twilight said sarcastically, but then she noticed something a short distance away, "Hey, look!"

Looking up, the three ponies couldn't believe their luck when they saw that the mine exited next to a railroad spur, and there on the tracks was a hoof-operated rail cart. Just like the one Pinkie Pie and Rarity had used to get back to Ponyville when they'd accidently been left behind the last time the Mane Six had come to Dodge Junction.

All they needed to do was follow the tracks back to town.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We've just found our ticket back to town!" the Pink Avenger said, motioning for Twilight and Derpy to follow.

Twilight and Derpy didn't argue as the three of them ran towards the rail cart. They were going to make back to Dodge Junction after all. They could only hope that they'd make it back in time...

----

Inside the sheriff's office, Rarity was looking out the window when she saw one of the townsponies standing on the other side of the street waving his hoof at her.

It was the signal. The Hole In The Hoof Gang had been sighted. They were coming.

"Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, they're coming!" the white unicorn informed her two friends.

Rainbow Dash, despite her injuries, seemed eager for some payback, "Good! They'll be sorry."

"Take it easy, Rainbow." Fluttershy cautioned, still concerned about her friend's injuries.

The sky blue pegasus looked at her friend, "Fluttershy, are you sure you want to do this? It's not too late to back out."

"Nopony will think less of you, darling." Rarity put in.

For an instant, Fluttershy was almost tempted. Now that the moment of truth had come, her fear was rapidly beginning to spike once again. But she thought the townsponies, and of Applejack and Miss Jubilee, and the wavering moment quickly passed.

"No. This is just something I have to do." the yellow pegasus insisted, putting a cowboy hat on her head.

"If you're still in, then so are we." Rainbow Dash said as she and Rarity did the same.

Rarity nodded slowly, "Well then... I guess...I guess we'd better get it over with."

"Yes..." Fluttershy agreed, "I guess we'd better..."

With that, the three friends headed out to meet whatever outcome awaited out in the streets. However, when they stepped out of the sheriff's office, they were surprised to see a large group of townsponies waiting for them.

"You'd...you'd all better go inside before things get bad." warned Fluttershy.

But the townsponies would not leave, for they'd had enough of this as well.

"No, they got Miss Jubilee, an' Applejack." one said.

"An' we're tired o' runnin' an' bein' afraid!" said another.

"We're with y'all to, sheriff!" a third declared, with the rest of the crowd all shouting out in agreement.

In spite of her usual shyness, Fluttershy felt a surge of gratitude and pride at Seeing the townsponies rallying behind her. And more than that, she felt hope.

"Thank you all so much." she said with a sudden burst of rising confidence, "I admit that when Deadwood Dutch and his gang first arrived, I was ready to give up, and to be honest...I kind of did... But now, I know that if we all stand together, then we CAN get our friends back, and run those outlaws out of town for good!"

Everypony cheered, finally ready to fight for their town.

But then, their attention was suddenly arrested by the loud snap of a whip and turning their gazes in the direction of the sound, everypony saw Deadwood Dutch and the Hole In The Hoof Gang standing just inside the town entrance.

"Ah'm sorry! Did Ah interrupt somethin'?" asked Deadwood Dutch sarcastically as the rest of his gang laughed.

Fluttershy quickly found herself trying to force down the fear that was starting to resurface. Taking a deep breath, she finally took her in front of the townsponies with Rainbow Dash and Rarity at her sides.

The time had come.

At last, the two opposing parties began to advance towards one another...

----

Back out in the desert, Twilight, Pink Avenger, and Derpy pumped the rail cart as fast as they could, fervently hoping that they would make it back to town in time to make a difference. They could only wonder about what had been happening while they'd been trapped in the mine.

"Come on; we've gotta hurry!" Twilight urged.

"No worries, Twilight." assured the Pink Avenger, "I'm sure we'll be back just in the nick of time!"

"Yeah, just like in the movies!" Derpy put in.

Exasperated, Twilight only wished she could share their confidence.

Then, the rail cart went around a curve in the bend, and suddenly, the three ponies found themselves going down a rather steep incline, causing the rail cart's speed to dramatically increase as they coasted downward.

"Uh, Pinkie- er, I mean Pink Avenger?" asked an increasingly worried Twilight, "How do you slow this thing down?"

But the Pink Avenger just laughed, "I have no idea!"

----

The Hole In The Hoof Gang and Fluttershy's posse finally came to a stop about 20 paces away from each other. For a brief moment, the two parties stared one another down, but Deadwood Dutch quickly broke the silence.

"Ah must admit, Ah'm kinda surprised y'all even showed up, ex-sheriff!" he said, laughing at his own joke, "Or is it current sheriff again? Ah'm not really sure."

Fluttershy cleared her throat and tried her best to sound a fierce and authoritative, but in the end, couldn't quite pull it off.

"Mr. Deadwood Dutch, sir, as sheriff of Dodge Junction, I place you under arrest, if you please..."

At this, the outlaws all began to laugh with Deadwood looking even more amused.

"Bold words, sheriff" he grinned, "But it seems mah gang an' Ah don't think ya can do that."

"She can and she WILL!" Rarity stepped up, "We've all had just about enough of you and your band of ruffians!"

Deadwood took in the full group opposing him, "Y'all call this a posse, sheriff? A prissy dame, a broken-down deputy, an' a bunch o' common folk?"

Rainbow Dash all but growled, "Don't count us out so soon, Deadwood..."

"We're done runnin' from y'all!" one of the townsponies chimed in.

"This is our town, an' we stand united!" declared another.

The rest of the townsponies all shouted in agreement.

"Gotta admit Ah'm kinda impressed that y'all found some backbone." admitted Deadwood, "But it ain't gonna make any difference. Lucky fer me, Ah got an ace in th' hole. Ain't that right, boys?"

At their leader's words, the outlaws parted and everypony gasped in shock when they dragged something forward. Or rather, they dragged two someponies forward.

Tied up back-to-back with Applejack's own lasso, and gagged with a pair of bandanas were Applejack and Cherry Jubilee...

----

Meanwhile, the rail cart carrying Twilight, the Pink Avenger, and Derpy was by now speeding out of control, with Twilight and Derpy both screaming in terror and holding on for dear life.

The Pink Avenger on the other hoof seemed to be having the time of her life.

"Weeeeeeeee! Faster! Faster!" the pink earth pony joyfully cried as if she were on an amusement park ride.

"Slow down! SLOW DOWN!" shrieked Twilight.

Soon, they found themselves speeding along the side of a high rock formation when suddenly, to their horror, they saw that that the track they were on was broken up ahead. With no way to stop the rail cart, they ran screaming off the tracks and plummeted down towards the desert floor below. Incredibly, the rail cart landed safely on a downhill slope, but was now off the tracks and speeding along the ground.

Then, as the three ponies struggled to keep their grip on the runaway cart, Twilight just barely caught a glimpse of a sign as they went zipping past, and she suddenly felt a surge of hope.

The sign had been pointing the way to Dodge Junction.

They were almost back to town.

----

"Applejack! Miss Jubilee" Fluttershy and Rarity both gasped.

"Let them go, Deadwood!" barked Rainbow Dash.

Deadwood however, only snapped his whip towards his two hostages.

"Tell yer posse ta back off, sheriff. Or yer friends git it." he demanded.

Applejack and Cherry Jubilee both shook their heads at Fluttershy, clearing trying to tell her not to give in to the outlaw leader's demands, but the yellow pegasus could see no choice.

"All right. All right..." Fluttershy conceded, "Just please don't hurt them!"

The townsponies all reluctantly began to back away from scene.

Deadwood then nodded towards Rarity and Rainbow Dash, "Now yer deputies."

"No way!" asserted Rainbow Dash, "Not this time!"

At her defiance, the outlaws immediately put Applejack and Cherry Jubilee in a headlock.

"Care ta run that by me again?" Deadwood grinned maliciously.

"Stop, please!" Fluttershy begged, "Okay, I'll tell them!"

"But Fluttershy...! You...you can't be serious!" a Rarity and Rainbow Dash respectively protested.

Fluttershy swallowed hard, "D-Don't worry, girls. For all we know, the Pink Avenger will soon be back to save the day."

The outlaws all burst out laughing at this obviously grasped straw.

"Still waitin' fer th' Pink Avenger, huh? Ah told ya Ah wouldn't count on it. There's seems ta have been a recent drop in th' Pink Avenger population." Deadwood taunted, chuckling at his own joke.

But the outlaw leader had spoken too soon, for by now, Twilight, the Pink Avenger, and Derpy were now rapidly coming up on Dodge Junction.

As the rail cart carried them through the outskirts of town, the three ponies could see the frantic confrontation occurring within the town center. It seemed as if they really had gotten back just in the nick of time.

Gripping the pumping mechanism, the Pink Avenger struggled to her feet as the rail cart sped directly towards the Hole In The Hoof Gang from the rear. A sense of triumph surged through her being as she pointed her hoof at the band of outlaws.

"CHARGE!!!" the pink earth pony hollered.

Startled, the outlaws spun around at Pinkie's battle cry, and were horrified to see the runaway rail cart bearing down on them. At the same time, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were overjoyed to see that their friends were not only alive, but that they'd actually made it back in time to save the day.

The panicking outlaws scattered like bowling pins, but Deadwood Dutch remained rooted to the spot, staring at the oncoming rail cart as if frozen in shock. Taking advantage of the distraction, Rarity and Rainbow Dash quickly darted forward to grab Applejack and Cherry Jubilee and carry them to safety.

But then, just as the rail cart was about to knock Deadwood Dutch out of the ballpark, the outlaw leader suddenly grinned, and merely stepped to the side, causing the Pink Avenger, Twilight, and Derpy to harmlessly zip past him.

"Oops..." the Pink Avenger said, "I think we... missed..."

"That doesn't happen in the movies!" complained Derpy.

Twilight could only sigh, "I knew it was too good to be true."

The rail cart would finally come to an abrupt, and violent stop when it ran right into the sheriff's office. Thankfully, Twilight, the Pink Avenger, and Derpy all jumped clear before the crash, but they were no longer in any position to help Fluttershy against Deadwood Dutch.

In fact, with literally everypony else having been scattered, the yellow pegasus and the outlaw leader were the only ones still standing in the town center.

"Oh, dear..." mused Fluttershy.

"Well, well, well." Deadwood Dutch said, "Looks like it's come down ta just th' two o' us, sheriff. No posse, no gang, just you an' me! Pony ta pony! Mano o mano!"

"That may be, Mr. Deadwood." Fluttershy said at last, trying to steel herself for the inevitable confrontation. "But even though I didn't want to be, I am the sheriff, and it's the job of the sheriff to protect people, and clean up the town, and..."

Suddenly, there came a loud DONG as the town clock struck noon.

"Are y'all done?" asked Deadwood, "Just look at th' time! High Noon!"

Fluttershy took a deep breath; the time had come, "Okay..."

With that, the two combatants took their positions on opposite ends of the street. For a moment, they stared one another down as a tumbleweed breezed past. And then, before the anxious eyes of the townsponies, the Hole In The Hoof Gang, and Fluttershy's friends, the outlaw leader and yellow pegasus slowly began to walk towards one another in a classic western duel.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the showdown commenced. Everypony held their breath, and with the exception of the duelists' hoofsteps and a slight breeze, there wasn't a sound.

Step by step, closer and closer, Fluttershy and Deadwood Dutch approached one another. The yellow pegasus was terrified, but forced herself to keep going, while the outlaw leader was eager to finish this, a malicious smile plastered his face. At last, the two adversaries came to a stop within five paces of each other and stared into each other's eyes.

For an eternally long moment, there was such a deathly silence that the drop of a pin could've been heard.

Then, to the disbelief of the crowd of spectators, Deadwood Dutch's face morphed into a pale mask of utter terror, before he suddenly turned and ran screaming all the way out of town!

The Hole In The Hoof Gang could only stare in stunned silence at the retreating figure of their leader, unable to believe what had just occurred. Finally, the outlaws turned their gazes back to Fluttershy, and suddenly, they to were frozen in terror when they found themselves on the receiving end of just what had horrified their boss.

It was the paralyzing, unstoppable effect of "The Stare"!

And barely a moment later, the entire gang was promptly following Deadwood Dutch's lead, fleeing for their lives out of Dodge Junction as fast as their hooves could possibly carry them.

As the outlaws disappeared off into the distance, Fluttershy's friends and the townsponies slowly began to make their way forward. They couldn't believe what had just occurred. In fact, Fluttershy couldn't believe had just happened herself; she'd just done the only thing that had come to mind in the heat of the moment.

Finally, the crowd of ponies all started cheering, realizing that their town had just been saved. At the same time, Fluttershy could only stare at this massive show of gratitude around her in stunned silence. The yellow pegasus could never have imagined an outcome like this, not after she'd run away from the outlaws on the day they'd arrived. And yet, against all odds, she had actually just run them out of town.

"Fluttershy, that was incredible!" cried Twilight.

"Y'all saved th' town!" praised Cherry Jubilee.

"You're a hero!" the Pink Avenger congratulated, "Just like me!"

"Can I have your autograph?" asked Derpy.

I... I can't believe it. I..." Fluttershy stammered, "I just did the only thing I could think of."

"And it was simply amazing!" assured Rarity.

Rainbow Dash grinned, "As if a bunch of low-life outlaws were any match for 'The Stare'!"

"Well, Ah don't think Deadwood an' his gang will mess with this town again!" Applejack said.

"An' it's all thanks ta Fluttershy!" Cherry Jubilee declared.

Everypony began cheering again, and despite herself, Fluttershy couldn't help but bask in such a triumphant moment.

----

With the Hole In The Hoof Gang finally gone for good, the ponies of Dodge Junction were able to hold their annual town festival at last. As Celestia's sun began to set, the festivities finally began as the sound of music, dancing, and various other activities filled the air. Applejack and Cherry Jubilee's apple-cherry products were a massive hit with the townsponies, just as the two earth ponies had predicted.

It was the perfect celebration to commemorate the victory over the outlaws. And to further express the town's gratitude, an impromptu award ceremony was held, with everypony in attendance watching in anticipation as Cherry Jubilee and the town mayor commended Fluttershy for her efforts.

"Ta show our appreciation..." Cherry Jubilee announced, "This town hereby presents you with the official Dodge Junction hero award fer single-hoofedly savin' th' town!"

Everypony applauded she placed the medal around Fluttershy's neck.

The yellow pegasus almost blushed, "Thank you all very much, but I think this award really belongs to all of us. I mean, we all did our part to save town, didn't we?"

"Yeah, Ah guess we did..." Applejack conceded, "But even so, yer th' one who drove those varmints outta town fer good. In fact, y'all were a better sheriff than Ah was!"

"AJ's right, Flutters. You deserve to have this moment." Rainbow Dash put in.

Twilight nodded, "You really stepped up today."

"I would never have been able to do it without my friends." Fluttershy said, "Thank you all for standing by me."

Rarity smiled, "What else are friends for, darling?"

"But what will the town do when we leave tomorrow?" asked Fluttershy.

"Don't worry..." Cherry Jubilee assured, "We've all talked it over, an' decided that we'll hold an election ta decide who'll be the new sheriff. But in the meantime, whaddya say we all just enjoy th' festival? Ah think we've all sure earned it."

Nopony could agree more. But as the group began to head back out to enjoy the festivites, Fluttershy couldn't help but noticed that two someponies were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where are Pinkie Pie and Derpy?" she asked.

"Oh, you know..." Twilight said sarcastically, "Off doing their thing."

----

Sure enough, back on the hill overlooking the town of Dodge Junction, the Pink Avenger leapt onto the back of her faithful steed, preparing to ride off into the sunset.

"Hi-Ho, Derpy! Away!"

Once again, Derpy reared up in a dramatic fashion... And once again, immediately lost her balance, and sent both of them crashing onto the ground.

"Oh, forget it..." the Pink Avenger, or rather Pinkie Pie, grumbled.

----

THE END

Author's Note:

PHEW! Finally, I finished the second half of this story. Sorry it took so long. Stay tuned for future content!

Comments

[Bronycommander]

very nice! and better late than never

[MontyCS]

11669443
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.

[Bronycommander]

11669985
your welcome! my first comment, pardon, hold habit

[Silver Waves]

Holding up her hoof, the Pink Avenger opened her mouth to answer, but ultimately realized she didn't actually know, and turned to look at Derpy.

"Ah... Actually, uh, how did we, my faithful stead?"

But Derpy just shrugged, "Well, ya got me. By all accounts, it doesn't make sense."

"Oh, well." said the Pink Avenger after a beat, "Back to business."

I understood that reference.
The Emperor's New Groove.

[MontyCS]

11741791
I'm glad you caught that! Sorry it took so long to respond.