“They say you can tell a mare by her cutie mark. It may be uncouth to say so but I always found this to be true. The part most ponies don’t think about is what if you have a bad mark. I’m Rarity and I hate my cutie mark. It’s not what most ponies think it is. Ponies think it is simply three diamonds, but there is more to it. It is three diamonds that match the size position and cut of the diamonds in a Mare No. 5 magical revolver. I’m a gunslinger and Equestria just isn’t the place for that kind of pony.”
Rarity was deep inside herself at the moment. She liked to muse about how she might one day write in her memoirs and long train rides like the one she was on offered her the opportunity to mull over the title and opening. She never did make it into the deep parts. Applejack was traveling out to visit Braeburn and, by a process of elimination, Rarity was the one to accompany her. The train ride had been long and mostly silent, but they were almost finished with it. “Do you think there will be another crisis when we get there?” Applejack inquired. She had her hoof on her chin as she was imagining the possibility of yet another pie war...
“I wouldn’t even consider it” Rarity answered back from her seat across from her friend. “Last we heard was that the buffalo and the townsfolk were best of friends. There was even that party they had with cheese.”
Applejack pursed her lips a little still deep in thought. “It’s too bad Twilight wasn’t able to come, or maybe Rainbow.” She looked over to Rarity. “Ya know just in case something was going to happen. It would be nice to have somepony who could handle a fight.”
“Applejack!” Rarity spat out in shock. “I may not be as rough and tumble as dash or some kind of Alicorn princess like Twilight, but don’t say it like that. I have been on just as many adventures as any of us and don’t forget how I was able to handle the diamond dogs by myself.”
“Ya, but didn’t ya just wine them to death” The farm pony stated, but Rarity gave Applejack a look that matched Winona’s face at meal time. “I’m sorry.” Applejack had to pull back her words. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sure you are plenty helpful in a fight.”
“You bet your flank I am.” The lady smirked at her un-lady like comment.
(---)
The train was pulling up to the station now and the whistle signaled it was time for everypony to leave, but only Rarity and Applejack stepped off at the station. There wasn’t anypony there to meet them. There wasn’t anypony anywhere in fact. Rarity was the first to notice the towns ghost like aesthetic, but Applejack was the first to speak on it. “Ah didn’t this place have ponies last time we were here?” The mare’s hat flocked left and right as she looked around for some kind of life. The town’s only answer was a tumble weed that blew away to hide as well.
“They.. must all be out..” Rarity glanced around the street with a squint. “Somewhere.” The two ponies looked at each other and shrugged their ears before walking down the street. “Well I was planning to do some shopping here, but it looks like everything is closed.” The pair trotted by store after store with each one locked shut. “I guess I can settle for some window shopping at least.”
“Of course you can.” Applejack smiled. She had finally gotten her dig in for this trip. She could hold her head up high knowing she wouldn’t be blending in the background in her own adventure. Not this time anyway.
“Would you look at that!” Rarity exclaimed as the pair walked past one of the store windows. In the center of the display rotated the item she was enthralled with. A silver magelock shimming brightly in the lighting.
Applejack trotted up next to Rarity to see what the fashionista was going to be going on about this time. “Rarity?” She lifted her eyebrow a little. “You know that’s not a dress right? It's just some weapon.” Her inflection was only half sincere. The Applejack was generally puzzled why the most preppy pony she ever knew was getting so worked up about a weapon. Even if was quite a shiny one.
“Just some weapon!” Rarity could have easily sprouted fangs by the end of that statement. Her words were dripping with shock and anger. “It’s not just a weapon. It’s art!” She placed two hooves on the glass and exclaimed. “It’s a perfect match of form and function. Look! Just look at that barrel..” Applejack tried her best to follow along. But the unicorn was talking much too fast for that. “It’s longer and narrower than the others because it’s made for pinpoint accuracy. With lenses that small, they need to be placed at the exact right angle and not a hair off. It must have taken the craftsmare days to do it. Also look at the focusing plate. It uses a rotating set of three gems rather than just one. Most magelocks have a single focusing stone that will shatter when fired too fast, but this one could be fired all day not not even chip. They aren’t even simple spark stones. They are rare frost gems. They can’t even be found around here. They must have been imported. Ah, and would you just look at that birch handle. No strap or teeth marks. This was clearly made for a unicorn to wield.
“Or a griffin” Applejack interrupted the Rarity at the height of her excitement and it was a good thing too because the earth pony was just about sure that her companion was only a few moments away from smashing down the window and running off with the weapon. “Come on, we can’t just spend all day looking through windows. Braeburn is waiting for us at the town hall.”
(---)
A very large barn was functioning as town hall and it was there where they finally found out what happened to everypony. “We can’t just allow them to keep bullying us like this!” One pony was heard shouting from inside. “Well we can’t just fight them. Pies won’t fix our problem this time” Another pony in back added their input.
“I don’t see Braeburn” Applejack whispered to Rarity as the two silently walked in through the open barn doors. Not that anyone could have heard them anyway. Not with all the arguments and ramblings going on inside the cavernous rooms.
“More to the point what is everypony shouting about?” The direction of the meeting had to be non existent. As far as Rarity could tell the town was simply having a shouting contest and she was losing.
“I think it’s about another fight with.. There!” Applejack was observing the room for Braeburn she finally spotted him. “You can wait outside sugar cube. I’ll go get Braeburn and bring him out with me. There ain't no way we could talk in this noisy place.”
“Gladly. The volume in here is mussing up my mane” Rarity replied as she trotted outside to wait. Even if she wasn’t told so, she may have done it by herself just to get away from the roar of the crowd. “It will take awhile for Applejack to pull Braeburn out of there.” She thought. “Maybe I have time to look at that gun one last...” Her internal monologue was cut short when she noticed a large cloud of dust riding up main street. She didn’t like the look of it almost instantly and galloped behind the corner of the town hall building.
“Dear Celesta” Rarity thought. “If Dash was here, she would mock me to no end for being so skittish.” Rarity shook away the thought of the laughing pegasus and went back to watching the dust cloud thunder closer showing what was hidden within. Inside of the cloud was hiding a small posy of ponies and one buffalo.
The buffalo was clearly the odd one out of the group and that went for more than just this group. He was missing most of his horn on the right side, but more importantly he didn’t have any buffalo painting on him. “He must be an outcast” Rarity speculated before she went on to size up the other members of the group.
The first pony looked like common bandit. They wore a bandana covering their cutie marks and had a dull brown coat covered in scars. He carried a battered and rusty spark thrower in his mouth. “He must not be the chatty type.” Rarity’s internal monolog had turned snaky.
The final member was clearly the leader. Taller than the rest and he wore a large black top-hat. Rarity might have complemented him on his style choice if he wasn’t so clearly evil. He had a magelock of his own, but it was safely tucked into a gun belt, so Rarity couldn’t identify its type. His cutie mark was be the big tip off to his purpose here. It was a twisting bloody dagger. “A little too on the nose.” Rarity snickered well silently lowing here eyebrow to the level of that comment.
The motley crew of ponies and on buffalo swept their eyes down the street. Seeing no one around, the bandit leader spoke up. “Too easy.” The stallion spit a load of black chew on the ground and pointed at the other pony. “You, go around back and keep a look out.” With that, the other ponies trotted away. The meeting was still raging inside the large barn. If only they shouted less they might have heard all this happening.
“That’s awful.” Applejack was on her way out with Braeburn when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She blinked in surprise as she looked up and saw the large imposing buffalo blocking her path out.
“Hello ladies.” The pony in the black hat smiled. “It’s a little noisy in there isn’t it.” The sly grin he had was all one needed to know he wasn’t going to be friendly.
(---)
Rarity didn’t see this last part, but she could easily picture it happening. She had sneaked off away from the large barn acting as town hall long before the ponies fully revealed their intention. All it took was for her to see the spark throwers to know that these ponies were up to no good and that if she wanted to do anything about it she would need to do some window buying.
Rarity softly padded her way through the alleys and back paths of the town. She could hear much louder steps trotting up and down the main streets so well she hated all the mud and grime of her path it was an acceptable compromise to being caught out in the open with no chance to defend herself.
It didn’t take long for Rarity to find the place she was looking for. She knew it instantly when she found the backyard. It was clearly the gun store from before. Only a shop obsessed with quality and style would spend the time and effort to make their backyard as prim and proper as their front display. Some shops could never even do their front display properly.
Rarity moved past the backyard garden, slowing a little to admire the dedication it must have taken to make everything so perfect. She reached out with her magic and tried to push open the back door. Lady luck wasn’t quite on Rarity’s side today because the door handle glowed pink. “Fiddlesticks.” Rarity hissed. “I guess the owner didn’t feel safe without a magical lock.” Rarity looked around and her heart broke. She knew she had to go through the window and the only thing around to smash it through it was the most adorable stone statue. It was a stone carved into a diamond perched upon a pedestal surrounded by a moat of rose bushes. That was before a blue aurora flung it through the shop’s back window.
The diamond smashed into a million pieces as it landed on the floor of the shop. The stone being quickly followed by Rarity as she jumped through the hole she made. “I’m so sorry Little-Tom. I never would have done it if this wasn’t a matter of life and death..”
(---)
Rarity was in the place she wanted to be now. It was the gunshop from before and there in the window was the prize she was after. The Mare No. 5. It was even more splendid now that she could view it from the other side of the glass. Now the hard part came in. Would she have enough bits to pay for it?
Sure she could have simply taken the weapon. It was an emergency no one would have questioned it, but for the element of generosity the thought was out of the question. She paced around the display pausing a little to once again gush at the wonderful weapon. “No price, but not the worst possible thing” she mused. “I know guns. I‘ll simply leave the proper amount of bits for it, the broken window oh and and broken statue too.” The pony frowned. For a valiant rescuer, she was staring off rather destructive.
She reached her magical grip into her saddlebag and threw a load of bits on the store counter. She was about to trot away when she came back. “That’s no good. That is much too little. A weapon of this quality is worth ten times that.” She reached into her back and pulled out even more bits, but she shook her head. The amount was still too small. She had no choice. Her entire saddle bag was flung to the counter as payment. “Still not a fair trade I’m afraid, but maybe with the circumstances I can claim a hero’s discount.” Having paid at least as well as she could, she raced back to the display.
(---)
She grasped the revolver in her aura levitating it up and spinning it around. She smiled. With a weapon this lovely, she could just spend day admiring how the light reflected off the finish, or how it balanced just perfectly, but there was no time for that now. “I have to save Applejack!” She thought. “Oh!” She sheepishly blushed fearing ponies who weren’t hear could read her thoughts. “And the other ponies too. I‘ll save them all.”
The time for worrying was over now. Rarity slowly cracked open the door to peek. “There he is” She explained. She observed the stallion patrol up and down the street “This one doesn't look too smart” Rarity whisperer as she fluttered her lashes. There was an evil thought brewing behind those flirtatious eyes. She quickly tucked the revolver into mane hiding is securely like she had done so many other small items. “I just need to get close and distract him.” She thought as she opened the door and pranced straight out to the street goon.
“Good sir! Good sir!” Rarity called out with a wave of her hoof at the bandit who between the spark thrower in his mouth and the bandana on his flank couldn’t dare be described as a good sir. “I’m so sorry, but I think I may be lost.” Rarity kept advancing on the puzzled pony fluttering her eyelashes. “Perhaps if you could” With a flick of her mane, Rarity revealed the No. 5 and fired dead on the bandit pony. A torrent of cold flew from the barrel engulfing the still unassuming goon in ice from his hooves to his nose. “Just stand right there and get frozen!” Rarity couldn’t hold back a girlish giggle. “Thats right!” Rarity held the No. 5 pointed up along with lifting a hoof in her victory pose. “Now I just need to deal with the others then maybe see a the therapist about why I keep talking to myself when I’m alone.”
Just as Rarity set trotting out to find her next battle. The next battle came rushing at her. A heavy crash hit her side and the floor flew away leaving her hooves failing through the air. The pony was upside down then right side up spinning through the air before ragdolling back into the shop she has just left. Her body smashing through the window pain.
Pain seemed the most appropriate word to use as Rarity found herself with a searing burn on her side. “No no no no no.” Hoof-pull by hoof-pull Rarity was moving herself deeper into the store. She assured herself she would find out what that pain was, but only after she found safety behind the counter. “Just a few more hoof-pulls.” Rarity’s inner voice was about as reassuring as it could be given the scenario.
She had made it to her temporary safety behind the counter, but she knew it wouldn’t last. A snort outside was followed by a large thud on the front door. “Apparently the window is just for ponies.” She felt a little better getting her jab in, but not even snark could cover up the damage. The trip through the window had left. Her coat with marked with several small cuts that Rarity could have winded for hours about if it wasn’t for the big one down her back leg. She didn’t think it could kill her, but she wasn’t a doctor and she was losing more blood she would want to be comfortable with.
“Ok.” Rarity wasn’t about to stop talking to herself. Not any time soon anyway. “That’s. That’s blood. Ah, well that is my blood.” Her eyes darted back and forth as she examined her hiding spot for anything that could help. “It’s not a dress snag, but” A swift blue whoosh pulled the saddlebag from the top of the counter. Flipping the bag open with a hoof she pulled out a small needle and thread wrapped in yellow and black striped case.
The loud thuds carried on pounding the door. Rarity couldn’t even begin to think of a way to thank this shop. First it armed her, now it was shielding her, and all she had done for it was to smash up to windows. “That door will hold I think” Rarity lied to herself. “What kind of stitch should you use to close a wound? Like it matters I‘ll just use a blanket stitch.”
The emergency sewing kit was never intended for medical aid, but it was lucky it seemed to do a good job of it. The unicorn looped the needle and thread in and out of her flesh wincing softly each time as the pain was becoming less and less dulled by the thrill of battle. One last pull on the thread it the wound laced itself up. “I hope it doesn’t leave a scar.” Worrying about the small stuff was one way to avoid worrying about the buffalo that was big angry and only a few more crashes from crushing her under hoof.
Rarity was only half way to standing up when the front door exploded inward. The one horned buffalo darken the threshold with heavy snort. They let out a heavy grunt before changing inside. Tables and displays either flew up in the air or where trampled under hoof by the brutal charge. “Sorry love. I’m afraid I don’t much like your style of dance” Rarity taunted well bolting to the side of the store. She managed to only avoid the charge by a tails hair as it slammed through the front counter. She scooped up the No. 5 with her magic and prodded “You're like a buffalo in a china shop.”
“Grhuff” The buffalo didn’t so much as say a word, but make a disapproving grunt before he sealed his disapproval by ramming his tusk into a table. The table flung up through the air at the unicorn. A blast of ice was Rarity’s counter. The impact stopped the table mid toss and dropped it to the floor.
“I’ll give you a chance. To give up now” Rarity leveled the revolver on the buffalo ready to follow up if they declined impolitely. That is exactly what they did too. Two paws at the floor and the buffalo was barreling towards the unicorn. “Well you want to play it that way.” Rarity wasted only a little time to taunt before opening fire. Blue icy streaks flew at the buffalo each one exploding into a icy explosion. Bit by bit the charge was slowed. Not as fast as Rarity would have liked. It wasn’t till the buffalo was inches away from contact that their charge finally came to a frozen stop.
“Humph!” Rarity walked around the frozen buffalo. “You got what you deserved wrecking the ambiance in this room!” She shouted at her defeated foe “Oh, and for trying to kill me too.” She had a little bit of time to blush at herself. “I really need to quit burying that bit. This is combat. Life and death.” Rarity put her hoof to her chest well the buffalo rolled the only part of him not cased in ice. “Now if you will bid me ado, I’m off to save Applejack.”
Rarity had to leave the store in the mess it was. “No time to clean up” She interjected mournfully. “There should be only one bandit left and they are probably holding Applejack hostage. I just need to swoop in and rescue her.” Rarity giggled. That sounded like the kind of plot she would find in the cheesy romance novels she hid in her nightstand. It was another secret she kept from her friends.
The stitching on her leg made it hard for Rarity as she sneaked her way back to the town hall. Her trip around the town was finally coming full circle. Rarity peeked around the corner. The black hat bandit was pacing back in front of the door swearing, but that wasn’t what she was worried about. Applejack was there with her fore-hooves tied to a post. “Just my luck.” Rarity thought to herself. Rarity bit her lip. Before this there was a chance she would be able to keep her secret. She could have defeated all the bandits then acted like it wasn’t her, but now she would have to reveal everything in order to save her friend.
“I’m not going to be able to just fool this one like the first, but dear Celestia I hope this goes better then the second one” Rarity whispered to herself and took a deep breath. It was time. She held her weapon high with her aura as she walked around the corner. “Don’t you dare move!” She pointed the No. 5 at the last bandit.
“Rarity?” Applejack was the first one to speak and it brought a blush to Rarity’s cheek. “What are you..”
“ Applejack I’ll explain it all latter. Just not now.” Rarity and Applejack exchanged glances and the last bandit stomped his hooves in laughter.
“You two are just so darling.” He paced back and forth with a chuckle. Rarity was starting to tense up not knowing exactly what he would do, but at least he wasn’t making a motion for his weapon. “The cowgirl is being saved by the princess.” He looked Rarity up and down. “So. You defeated my men. I assume.”
“Yes and I’ll beat you too!” Rarity stepped forward still keeping her No. 5 trained on the bandit. He didn’t rache for his weapon. That was a good sign. Rarity thought she might be able to talk him into giving up. “That is unless you want to untie my friend and give up!”
“I’m sorry love, but I’m not going to do that.” A green glow formed from under the bandit’s hat and around his weapon. Then before Rarity could even blink at what was happening, the weapon was drawn leveled and firing a stream of fire at her flank.
The shot wasn’t accurate though. “You shouldn’t use fire, it’s uncouth and uncontrollable as well.” Rarity was in the middle of a taunt when she looked back at her flank. The flames had missed her flank, but they landed somewhere worse. Her tail was gone! Only a short blacken stump of a hair remained. “YOU RUINED MY TAIL!”
It was now Rarity’s turn to be the uncivil one. The bandit was in the middle of aiming his next shot when Rarity nailed his head with an ice blast. His hat flung up in the air and his horn was locked in ice. With his horn frozen, the green glow faded from the flamelock and it dropped to the street. Rarity wasn’t finished just yet though. Several more shots impacted the hat-less unicorn till he was frozen solid in a pony shaped block of ice.
“Uhh is he going to thaw out?” It was later and Applejack had many questions.
“He will. Just not for awhile and not without a really bad throbbing in his horn.” Rarity stashed the No. 5 back in her mane and started to untie Applejack from the post. “You're probably wondering about something else though.”
“Eeyup.” Applejack nuzzled her her hooves with her muzzle. Being tied up isn’t a comfortable experience.
Rarity let out a sigh and pulled apart the No. 5. She held the focusing plate to her flank and spoke “Well Applejack. They say you can tell a mare by her cutie mark.”
Author's Note
Well that is it. My first story. I hope you enjoyed it and if you could post feedback in the comments, I would really appreciate it. Don't forget to mention if you want to see me continue this story out more.