A young brown unicorn stallion was standing in front of the mirror. In his forehoof he was holding a revolver. He closed the gun, pressed it to his temple and pulled the trigger.
Click!
He rolled revolver’s cylinder against his other forehoof and repeated the sequence.
Click!
He sighed and cracked the gun open. Six chambers, five bullets. Reaching with his magic, he took another bullet from the table and shove it into the chamber. Pressing the gun to his temple, he pulled the trigger.
Scrreek!
Smiling mirthlessly, he roller the cylinder a couple of times, and it rolled perfectly. Another try and—
Click!
"Damn," he sighed, "that isn't even funny anymore. I need to think something different."
* * *
Six mares entered the throne room of Canterlot palace.
"Princess Celestia!" said Twilight Sparkle. "We came as you've asked. But you wrote nothing about what had happened. Is it something bad threatens Equestria again that you need help of the Elements?"
"It is a pleasure to see you all, my little ponies," the white alicorn replied. "But it is not the power of Elements that I need now, but your wit, Twilight."
"Well, like mah Granny Smith said, two heads are better than one," commented Applejack.
"And we have six here!" chirped Pinkie Pie.
"They're right, princess," added Twilight. "So, tell us, what happened?"
"You see," Celestia begun, "some time ago there was some ponies missing in a Canterlot. But later we found some of them — or their bodies, to be exact. All of them were shot in the head."
"A suicide?" asked Twilight, shivering.
"Police had the same thought at first, but some clues proved that it was a murder or — possibly — forced suicide."
"Like what?" asked Rainbow Dash. "How's it even possible to force somepony to do that kind of stuff?"
"There were rope marks on their bodies, but not on one of their hooves," princess replied. "And particles of gunpowder on that hoof. Police found out the possible culprit and attempted to arrest him, but all their tries failed."
"What happened?"
"Police couldn't catch him. Later some of them said that it seemed like some storm blew the bullets away from him, and some guns even broke all of sudden."
"Was he using magic?" asked Twilight.
"No, at least it was not the usual unicorn magic, like force shield or levitation. It was his special talent," Celestia replied.
"And what in tarnation does that mean?" asked Applejack in confusion.
"You see, his name is Slight Chance and his talent lies in field of physics," Celestia said. "Quantum physics, to be exact."
"So you're trying to say he brakes the laws of physics, like Discord did?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"No, Rainbow," Twilight interrupted."I think I understand what princess is talking about."
"Yes, my dear Twilight,” said princess Celestia. ”He can operate with probabilities. And that is the problem."
"I still don't get it," said perplexed Rainbow Dash.
"I think we have some case of the Quantum Suicide paradox here," replied Twilight.
"And what the hay does that mean?" Applejack asked.
"Basic point is,” Twilight started to explain, ”that if the quantum operator has a gun pointed at him, and the gun has fifty-fifty chances to kill him, he will survive — but it is true only without any observers. That's why I don't understand how could he escaped the bullets, surrounded by a crowd of policeponies."
"Oh, Twilight, that's easy!" said Pinkie. "He just did all the stuff when they’d blinked."
"But it's not scientifically possible for so many ponies to blink at once!"
"Hmm... Probably you're right,” Pinkie Pie mused. “Oh, how about when nobody saw he made them all blink, and then escaped all the bullets?"
"But that's nonsense! And, besides, it still doesn't explain why did he killed all those ponies."
"And that is why I called you here, Twilight,” princess Celestia said. “I need you to find some countermeasures against his skills. Then police will do the rest. In case you won't succeed I’ll have to use some range-effect battle spell to... eliminate him, I afraid."
"Don't worry, princess," Twilight assured her. "I'll do what I can."
* * *
A week had passed. Twilight was sitting in the library, holding her head with her hooves. All around her were piles and piles of books,
"I don't know what can we do,” she mumbled. “If observers can't disable his skill, looks like he really breaks the laws of physics."
"Erm, Twilight..." said Rainbow Dash. "I really don't like that idea, I mean, it's totally not cool, but what about a shot in the back? He wouldn't see it comin'."
"Most likely it wouldn't work,” Twilight replied. ”I can only assume that he counts all guns and ponies as one system, and then he excludes himself from it. But I don't understand how he does it. Maybe if I'll see it myself I'll understand something, but for now he seems invincible for me."
"Discord also seemed invincible at first, but we defeated him! Nopony is invincible!" Rarity countered.
"But we beat him only at second try. Before that I had almost lost all of you," Twilight corrected her.
"You know, Twi', if you think that head-on battle is the only way, I'm all with you,” said Rainbow Dash. “I think we all will agree on that, yeah, girls?"
Three clear "Yes!" silenced Fluttershy's weak "Umm..."
"So, it's settled then!” the rainbow pegasus shouted. ”Go tell the princess that we're ready to go."
* * *
Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes just to see she was was was sitting in complete darkness, tied to some sort of chair. She tried to remember how she got here.
After conversation with the princess Celestia, Twilight and her friends joined with a group of guards. Princess said that it is too dangerous for them to go alone, and, though Twilight thought that Elements will be useless anyway, they agreed to take the Elements of Harmony with them. They all came to some kind of warehouse where, as guards expected, Slight Chance was hiding. Entering the warehouse was the last thing Twilight could remember before she came to senses in the darkness.
“Girls?” she asked. “Are you here?”
As if expecting her words, light lit the room. All six mares were sitting around a small table. To the right from Twilight was Rarity, then Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. All of them were tied to their seats, and both unicorns had magic jammers on their horns.
In the center of the table a revolver was lying.
With a hiss speaker under the ceiling came to life.
“Hello, everypony,” said unfamiliar voice. “I believe you know who I am and what I can do. So don’t try to untie or rip your restrains, they won’t give in. They are not only controlled by my magic, but also are possibility-proof.”
“What do you want from us?!” Rainbow shouted, still trying to get out of ties that binded her.
“For me it is an experiment, but you may consider this as game of chance,” Chance’s voice replied. “The rules are pretty simple. There’s a revolver on the table. Five chambers are loaded, one is empty. Each of you will roll the cylinder and make one shot at herself. Those who will stay alive can come and get me. Oh, and of course you will get your Elements back, though I doubt that they will be useful without even one of the bearers.”
“What an inequine experiment is that?!” Twilights yelled.
“Oh,” the voice replied, “it is very simple. I’m just trying to find somepony with skill same as mine. I’m pretty sure that you know that one example doesn’t set the rule. But we digressed. I think you should begin.”
“Like Tartarus we will!” Applejack said.
“Oh, but you will,” Slight Chance’s voice responded. “You don’t have much choice. Surely, you can shoot somepony else — but I doubt that you would do that. And if you’ll try to just spend the ammo shooting in space I’ll prevent that possibility.”
“Princes Celestia will send her guard to find us!” Rarity said with confidence.
“I doubt that. The fact she sent the Element Bearers instead of usual guards shows that she’s in despair. And if you cant’s beat me, she most likely will use more drastic measures — like some big destructive area spell. Though I never dealt with such magic, I think I’ll get away. But you can sit there and wait for sure death — or take some risk and get a chance to save yourselves. The choice is yours.”
“He’s right,” Twilight said submissively. “Forgive me for dragging you into this, girls. I’ll be the first one.”
“Umm, Twilight,” said Fluttershy. “I think I should do it first, while I still can. I’m not sure if I could do this after seeing one of you shoot yourself.”
“Fluttershy, what are you talking about?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, but the yellow pegasus interrupted her.
“No, Rainbow,” said Fluttershy taking the pistol in in her hoof. “There’s not much help from me anyway, so if I could give you just one more chance to live, I must do it.” With this words she put it to her head, closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.
Click!
Everypony released their breaths, didn’t even noticing when they held it. Fluttershy sighed with relief and put the gun back on the table.
“Ha!” Rainbow Dash smiled, taking the gun. “If Fluttershy could do this then it will be a piece of cake for me! Here I go.”
“Rainbow, wait!” Rarity shouted, but it was too late.
Bang!
With a deafening thunder blue pegasus’ head jerked from her hoof, spraying Fluttershy with red blood drops. Her hoof, still grasping the gun, felt to the table.
Silence reigned in a room for a second only to be disrupted by Fluttershy’s scream.
“Oh Celestia...” Twilight mumbled, covering her mouth with a hoof in a shock.
“Fluttershy, calm down!” Applejack said, caressing Fluttershy’s shoulder with her hoof until pegasus’ voice broke and she dropped her head to the table, sobbing quietly.
“For goodness sake, she’s so loud...” grumbled Slight Chance. “You better get used to this, you know. I doubt that she’ll be the only one. Besides, she she victim of her own impulsiveness. Now let’s continue.”
Pinkie Pie took still warm gun from Dash’s hoof, slowly rolled it over the surface of the table and put the revolver to her head.
Suddenly a couple of twitchings ran over the pink mare’s body. Her eyes became wide, as her mane slowly deflated.
“Can I...” she paused. “Can I roll it again?”
“No,” Slight Chance replied through loudspeakers. “Your chances must be equal. You may roll once — or not roll at all.”
“Pinkie, don’tcha listen to him!” Applejack exclaimed. “If your pinkie sense tells ya ‘bout danger, then roll that damn cylinder again!”
“No, AJ, you don’t understand,” Pinkie sighed. “That’s totally another thing. I experienced that only once before, and then I didn’t understand what that meant. But now I do. First time was when my granny Pie died.”
“What do you mean, Pinkie?” Twilight asked the pink mare.
“It means somepony’s inevitable death. Now it’s mine. Farewell then, girls,” she blurted out and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
“Hmm... Looks like she was right,” mumbled Chance. “Pretty interesting talent she had. That’s a pity that it’s lost now. But now is your turn, Twilight.”
* * *
With trembling hoof Twilight took the gun from Pinkie’s. Then she paused for a second, thinking.
“Listen, Chance...” she said. “I don’t know if I’ll stay alive, so... Can I ask some questions?”
“Are you trying to temporize,” stallion responded, “or hoping that somehow that ‘villain’s final speech’ cliché will work out?”
“No. I just want to know one thing,” Twilight answered. “How did you do that trick with bullet evading? Even with your talent it seems impossible to me, with all that observers.”
“Interesting question,” Chance said. “But you just miss one point — all that so-called ‘experiments’ are no more than theories. I was the only one who tried it in reality. Actually, it’s pretty interesting, but long story, so I’ll try to be quick.
“In my teen years I was on verge of suicide because of my blank flank. So I took my father’s revolver and tried to shoot myself. But result was unexpected — not only I was alive, but I also got my cutie mark, double bullet. When my father entered the room and saw me with a gun he surely scolded me, but I managed to calm him somehow, I lied that as soon as I took his revolver in my hoof, my cutie mark appeared. So he naturally thought that my talent lies in shooting, but I devoted myself to quantum physics. But that’s not the point.
“The point was that he was already entering the room when I pulled the trigger. Twice. My hoof was trembling, you know. But I knew for sure that I loaded six bullets in that gun. Later I tried to understand how was that possible, and came to two conclusions — either my talent ignores observers or it takes them into account. I am still not sure, but I’m inclined to latter one. After all, am I not an observer myself?
“So, I hope you’ve heard all that you wanted and will not delay this anymore, Twilight,” he finished.
“Yes, that’s all,” the violet mare replied. “Girls, now I honestly don’t know how to beat him. If you’ll survive through this, maybe it will be better not to confront him directly.”
“Listen, girl, don’t try my patience!” sounded over loudspeakers.
“Fine then...” Twilight sighed, rolling the cylinder by the table. “Just in case... Goodbye, girls,” she breathed out, raising revolver to her temple.
Bang!
“One more down,” Chance said. “Okay, I lost enough time with her, so I hope that you won’t ask me any more questions.”
“A lady will never talk to some low-life crazy maniac,” Rarity uttered, taking the gun from Twilight’s side. “Applejack, if we will survive, I’ll help you to kick his sorry rump straight to the moon. Just don’t lose hope.”
Bang!
“Well, that’s where all her hopes gone. Though her chances were pretty good, yours now are even better, because there’s just one bullet left in it.”
“Just shut up,” Applejack muttered through her teeth, “Ah’m already sick of your voice.”
“Fine then. Just take the the gun, roll it and shoot yourself, and then it all will end.”
Click!
Applejack opened her eyes and relaxed her teeth. She didn’t even noticed when she clenched them.
A moment after that restrains on everypony’s seats dropped, freeing four corpses and two alive ponies, one of which slid to the floor, almost as one of said corpses.
“Like I said, now you’re free to go. I’m waiting you in next room, with your Elements by my side.”
Applejack gently lifted Fluttershy’s body to her back and took the revolver with teeth.
“Just y’all wait,” she muttered over the gun to her friends. “Ah’ll return for y’all soon.”
Few steps to the door felt like a mile for her, but at last she get there and pushed the door with her head, leaving the room reeking with blood and gunpowder.
* A *
Entering the adjacent room Applejack saw that it was pretty much alike the first one — dark room with a round table, though without seats this time. Another revolver in the center of the table. And somepony standing at the far end of it.
“So, the two of you got to the end,” said Slight Chance. “As I said, you can get me now.”
Applejack gently put Fluttershy near the door and, still holding revolver with one bullet in her mouth, turned to the brown unicorn.
“Oh, and there was no need to bring the gun with you,” he said. “I got another one here, this one with six bullets to maximize your chances.”
“Don’cha worry, ya crazy bastard,” grumbled Applejack, closing to him. “Ah won’t miss ya anyway.”
“Oh, I doubt that it matters,” Slight Chance replied, turning his head to the loaded revolver. “I thought you already know about my—”
A kick in the jaw stopped his talk. And another one. And another. Applejack kept kicking the brown stallion until his coat became dirty-red from his own blood. Then she stopped, hardly breathing.
“Every storm had its eye, bucker, ” she said, spitting at the mangled up body of the unicorn. ”Now come on, Fluttershy." She turned away from him."We still have some work to do.”
The earth pony came to the broken pegasus and lifted Fluttershy on her back.
