Phoenix

Phoenix sat in his bed and pondered as to what he should do; the town see him as a hero, but he was planning on robbing this place. Surely there was a way out? He looked across the room at his clock: midnight, it was time again to meet up with Bob Bullet. He arose from the bed and snook out the door. Despite the darkness, light came through the windows due to the torches outside. As he did the day before, he silently crept out the window and behind the bar to the hidden trap door.

The walk down to the room where his fellow bandits were was no longer a proud walk, but a lonely one. Phoenix opened the door and saw that the ponies were now gathered around the centre table, Bob Bullet seemed to looked very proud of what he had achieved.

"Phoenix, join!" Bob Bullet called for Phoenix, and he silently joined the group of ponies "Our spy, Mr Eddy, has received news you're the new town hero?" Suddenly, his heart was in his mouth.

"Uh... yes, I... stopped a house from burning." Phoenix was shaking, he preyed this wouldn't get in the way of anything.

"Brilliant!" and Phoenix was now extraordinarily relieved, "the town won't expect an attack from you at all!" and... Phoenix's heart returned to it's reserved seat in Phoenix's mouth.

"Eddy will be set up in the bank tomorrow night, the town believes he works there. Phoenix, at midnight tomorrow, you will head for the bank and Eddy will let you in. Once inside, you will then be able to retrieve the dynamite being held in one of the smaller vaults. Light it, use your magic to throw it at the blacksmiths. This will draw attention to that building, giving Squad A the chance to sneak onto the building tops and take out the guards. The guards should be dead by 6 minutes past 12, that's when Squad B can enter and take out the residents. Squad C will surround the town and take out any pony who tries to escape." Bob Bullet rose onto the table to give his final order. "Kill every pony, stallions, mares, fillies, no hostages! We can't afford word getting out!" Bob Bullet now proceeded to look round at each pony individually. "Does every pony understand?" The crowd gave all gave a "yes" of agreement, but they did not celebrate, they WERE underneath the town after all.

Phoenix was about to disappear in the crowd, when he was called out.

"Phoenix..." Great, as if Phoenix wasn't already about to have a heart attack, Bob Bullet now wanted to speak to him... Rather than respond, Phoenix just approached Bob.

"... once you've made the blacksmith's go boom, I want you to join group A and help take out the guards, okay?" Seriously, Phoenix's heart was going in and out of his mouth like a yo-yo right now.

"...Okay, I will." Phoenix nodded and immediately left, he couldn't stand much more, it was the most tense atmosphere he had been in for a while. He walked up the stairs and opened the trapdoor, he then silently closed it.

"Hello." Phoenix froze. He slowly turned around and came face to face with... Lucy.

"What's goin' on?" She asked, she now looked at Phoenix with the same burning stare she used when they first met. Phoenix was not going to do the job, he couldn't.

"I want to gather the town tomorrow, mid day. It's an emergency." Lucy didn't seem to be buying it.

"Why ain't you sleepin'?" There was no way out of this. Phoenix had to spill the beans.

"I'm a bandit, okay?" Lucy did not look shocked, Phoenix spoke quietly so none of the guards would hear. "My boss and my team are down there, we plan on attacking tomorrow, midnight. I want to gather every pony to warn them."

Lucy looked at the floor, then, she drew her gun and fired! Phoenix was quick to react, though without a doubt the bang would draw lots of attention. Phoenix used his magic and his revolver to knock out Lucy where she stood, then, he heard ponies calling and approaching. He opened the trapdoor to hide... then, he closed it again. He wasn't going back with them, he WOULD be back tomorrow, but not with them. He sprinted away, the darkness hiding him. The knocked out body of Lucy seemed to distract the guards, giving Phoenix more time to escape. He had an idea of where to go, back to the chariot he found.

As Phoenix ran, he continued to hear calls behind him, though he believed know one knew HE was the culprit yet. He arrived at the same clearing where Lucy hit him on the back on the head, and saw the familiar cave which Phoenix fell from. He leapt up onto the roof, his hooves only just reaching the top. He had to really use all his strength to pull himself up, but he made it, when, he heard gunshots.

He looked behind him, he couldn't see any ponies due to the darkness. Suddenly, there was a burst of bright light in the direction of the town. Phoenix could immediately tell, it was fire. Lucy must have awoken and warned the guards about the bandits in the hideout. Theoretically, they tried to take them out, and now the bandits have come up to play.

More and more gunshots were heard from the town, along with screaming. Phoenix fell to his knees, this was because of him. He was going to turn around, when he remembered that filly who gave him a flower. He felt in his pocket, it was still there. Phoenix looked at this flower of his, and threw it into the dirt. He had earned that as a trophy which he no longer deserved, but he wasn't going to give up. He was the town's hero, now he had to save it.